Massive Blackbuck Herd Spotted In Gujarat, PM Narendra Modi Tweets Praise

Thousands of blackbucks were seen crossing a road at a national park in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district in a stunning video. "Excellent!" was how PM Modi described the sighting. The video of the large herd at the Velavadar Blackbuck National Park tweeted by the Gujarat department of information, was retweeted by the Prime Minister. According to the department, "over 3,000 blackbucks" were part of the herd which was seen leaping high in the air while galloping away. The blackbucks are protected animals and their hunting is banned under the Wildlife Act since 1972. Once widespread through the Indian subcontinent they are now a part of the endangered species list after their numbers declined due to excessive hunting, deforestation & habitat degradation. Velavadar National Park, an hour's drive north of Bhavnagar, is famous for its blackbuck population. Hugging the coasts of the Gulf of Khambhat on the south, the sanctuary is spread over an area of 34 square kilometer. Other than the blackbucks, the park is also inhabited by a sizeable number of birds and animal species. Several species of migratory birds, such as Pelicans and flamingos can also be spotted here.