Chhattisgarh’s last breeding female wild buffalo Asha dies

The Chhattisgarh government plans to bring female wild buffaloes from Assam to increase the population of the animal in the state.

Updated on: Feb 19, 2020, 17:43:06 IST

Hindustan Times, Raipur | By Ritesh Mishra

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Asha, the last breeding female wild buffalo of Chhattisgarh, died in an enclosure at Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve in Gariaband district on Tuesday.

Representative photo of the Indian wild buffalo. (PTI)

The endangered wild buffalo is Chhattisgarh’s state animal, and is locally known as ‘van bhainsa’. It is similar to a bison in appearance.

“Asha was kept in the enclosure for mating and reproduction since 2005-2006 and had given birth to seven calves in the last 15 years,” said Additional principal chief conservator of forest Arun Pandey, adding that post-mortem of the 17-year-old wild bufalo revealed death due to natural causes.

Principal chief conservator of forests Atul Shukla and other senior officials from Raipur rushed to the spot, located around 175 km away from Raipur.

“Now we have 11 wild buffalos... Asha gave birth to one female ‘Khushi’ and six other males. We have one male free ranging buffalo through which some domestic females were crossed hence we got two other female calves from these domestic females,” said Pandey.

The officer further stated that now department will try breeding ‘Khushi’.

Notably, in the month of May 2019, the last free ranging (born in jungle) wild buffalo ‘Jugadu’ had died at Udanti. The animal was injured by another wild buffalo.

The Chhattisgarh government plans to bring female wild buffaloes from Assam to increase the population of the animal in the state.

“The process of bringing five female wild buffaloes from Assam is going on and soon they will be brought to Chhattisgarh,” Pandey said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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