Salman Khan and Black bucks

Salman makes black bucks famous

By Nayan Dave/TNN 

March 30, 2006

Velavadar: The Bishnois of Rajasthan hate him. A Jodhpur court has awarded him a jail sentence for killing a black buck. But black bucks at Velavadar Black Buck National Park in Bhavnagar may be indebted to Salman Khan for making them known to almost everyone and ensuring that more tourists visit the park. 

And this is not all. The black bucks at the park are a safer lot with local people being aware of the punishment they are likely to get if they kill one. 

Before the entire episode involving Salman Khan and other Bollywood stars like Saif Ali Khan and Sonali Bendre, there was not much interest in black bucks, even among the locals. But since Salman’s sentencing, the interest in black bucks has grown leaps and bounds among those who come to Saurashtra, according to nature lovers. 

Inder Gadhavi, president of Dhar mendrasinhji Nature Conservation Society and professor of botany in Bhavnagar University, says, “Earlier, we had to educate people about black bucks, but now people know something about the animal, even though it happened after a highprofile actor killed one and the subsequent media coverage.” 

He said that even poaching activities have come down to a negligible level from past five years because of the case. He said that not only the Salman issue, but the forest department’s efforts are equally responsible for the improved situation. 

Conservator of forest (wildlife), Bharat Pathak says, “Whatever the reason, but over the past few years, the number of visitors has increased. He said that during the current year, the number of tourists has gone up to 4,835 from last year’s 3,722, excluding visits of students and nature camps. He said that in the past five years, only two incidents of poaching were registered, one in April 2001 and another in January 2006”. 

Shivbhadra Sinh, a student and a voluntary park guide, says that people who visit do not know much about black bucks apart from its connection with the Salman Khan controversy. Tourist Vikram Shah says he visited the park to see the animal which had enticed popular stars into poaching.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Search&Key=TOIA%2F2006%2F03%2F30%2F1%2FAr00102%2Exml&CollName=TOI_AHMEDABAD_ARCHIVE_2006&DOCID=123998&Keyword=%28%3Cmany%3E%3Cstem%3ENayan%3Cand%3E%3Cmany%3E%3Cstem%3EDave%29&skin=pastissues2&AppName=2&ViewMode=HTML