Ahmedabad: The Blue Bull population is also known as Nilgai, the largest Asian antelope, has increased in Gujarat by worrying 117.27% in the past 10 years.
The latest surveys conducted by GEER Foundation have recorded 2.51,378 Blue Bulls against 1,19,546 in 2011.
Three such surveys have been carried out so far since 2011.
The maximum increase in the Nilgai population – 56.23% – recorded in 2011- 2015 surveys .
In 2015, the Nilgai population in the state was established at 1,86,770.
This rose 34.6% in the next five years.
According to data estimates, the Ahmedabad district has 9,816 blue bulls while side by side with Gandhinagar District having 3,010.
At 32,021, Banaskantha had the highest antelope population followed by Patan with 18,584 and Amreli, 16,295.
North Gujarat Regency such as Banaskatha, Patan, Mahisagar, Aravalli, Mehsana, Gandhinagar and Sabarkantha accounted for 91,244 Blue Bulls or 36.3% of the total population of Nilgai in the state.
“The Blue Bull survey conducted from October 2020 to March 2021 and a worrying decadal increase.
The animal, which is a protected species, is also a threat to farmers and the cause of many road accidents,” said an official of the State Forest Department.
Blue Bull enjoys legal protection because this has been included in the schedule-III Act Wildlife (Protection), 1972.
The animal hunting can be sentenced to three months in prison or fine.
The official said that Nilgai was considered vermin by farmers because it was often the cause of plant damage.
Apart from the forest, their habitat reaches the urban, semi-urban and rural areas.
“This leads to many farmers who install electric fences around their illegal farms.
This does not only produce Nilgai death but a lot of time, especially in Saurashtra, other protected animal deaths such as leopards and lions too,” the official said.
To prevent an accident on the road caused by Nilgai, the State Forest Department, the authority of the Development of Urban Gandhinagar and Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation has installed a fence on all the main roads.
It keeps nilgis from deviant to the road and residential area.
“Decadal increase in their steep population but the only relief is that the rate of increase in the past five years has registered a decline,” the official said.