PRAYAGRAJ, Dec. 27 -- After a gap of three years, a fresh census of blackbucks is set to begin at Uttar Pradesh's only blackbuck sanctuary, Chand Khamaria, located about 40 km from Meja in the trans-Yamuna region of Prayagraj district. A team of experts from Acharya Narendra Deva Agricultural University, Ayodhya, along with officials of the forest department, will carry out a comprehensive survey of the blackbuck population in the protected reserve. In 2017, the Uttar Pradesh government approved the plan of setting up the Blackbuck Conservation Reserve as the first such reserve dedicated to the blackbucks. This Blackbuck Sanctuary Reserve was established on the land of village council Chand Khamaria and Malikalan of Meja forest area. The then DM had made available 88 hectares of land in village Chand Khamaria and Malikalan and 38.123 hectares of forest land adjoining it (total 126.123 hectares of land) for Blackbuck Reserve. Divisional forest officer (DFO), Prayagraj, Arvind Kumar said that the blackbuck population in the Krishna Mrig (Blackbuck) Conservation Reserve at Chand Khamaria stood at 404 in 2011 and has since increased to 508. The last census was conducted in 2022, while the next phase of counting is scheduled to begin in January 2026 to assess the current status of the species. He added that the census will be conducted in three phases across different seasons, with the first phase commencing in January. Assistant professor Yashmita Naveen of the university's Agroforestry Department said the sanctuary will be divided into multiple sections to ensure systematic and accurate counting. Various scientific methods, including primary surveys, transect surveys, pellet counts, and waterhole count surveys, will be employed during the exercise. "The data collected will help assess population trends, including growth or decline, gender ratio, and the number of juveniles," she explained. Forest officials said the findings would provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of government conservation measures and help ensure the sustainable growth of the blackbuck population in the reserve. Beyond population estimates, experts also expect the census to shed light on poaching incidents and assist in shaping future conservation strategies. Three years ago, the sanctuary recorded a blackbuck population of 508....