In conversation with Manoj Kumar B.R.
The summer heat sends the illusion of simmering waves rippling off the yellowish-green grassland, dust particles floating in the air and bending the light. Studded with Eucalyptus and Acacia spp. trees, this landscape is home to one of the fastest species of antelope – the Indian blackbuck Antilope cervicapra.
M.Sc. student Manoj spends hours in this grassy expanse laying transects and counting blackbuck pellets. “The most interesting aspect of my fieldwork was incidental sightings of blackbucks,” he tells Team AYRN. “Although my study was mainly dependent on indirect sightings of the antelope, I did enjoy spotting them now and then as they leapt and stotted across the fields.” As with most field-based ecology theses, the first month of his research was spent on a reconnaissance mission, informally known as a recce. “During my recce, I got to watch these beautiful antelope throughout the day as they performed various activities such as grazing, sparring between juvenile males, and even leks (courtship displays) where the dominant male struts across the herd with a mincing gait and head thrown upward so that his horns lay flat on his back.”
Despite spending part of his childhood in Tumkur, Karnataka, Manoj was surprised to find that blackbucks are also found in the same district where he grew up. The Jayamangali Blackbuck Conservation Reserve was established in February 2007, making it Tumkur’s first protected area, albeit only spanning 798 acres (3.23 sq. km.). The reserve is fairly understudied, but research in 2022 documented 784 blackbucks within a 5 km buffer around the conservation reserve. This is the second-largest contiguous population of blackbuck in Karnataka, following Ranibennur Blackbuck Sanctuary (1112 blackbucks).
Blackbucks are native to India and Nepal (and once found in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh) where they live in grassy plains and open forest habitats. Living in groups, they are the only true antelope in India and the sole living member of the genus Antilope. They can run at speeds of 80 km/h, a useful trait when outrunning predators such as the Indian wolf, golden jackal, foxes, and even feral dogs. Blackbuck fawns are at risk of predation by foxes and feral dogs, in particular. Jayamangali sees the death of several fawns by dogs during the fawning season.
Conducting field research:
Manoj focused on gathering evidence of blackbuck presence using blackbuck pellets (dung) as primary data. He mostly found pellets at middens, which are areas that blackbuck return to and use repeatedly as defecation sites. He also collected evidence of livestock via pellets/dung, hoof marks and direct sightings, along with indirect sightings of carnivores, and documented the habitat type – cropland, plantation, grassland, fallow, and savanna woodland. The latter variables were his independent variables, while Blackbuck’s presence was the dependent variable in his study.
He found more signs of blackbuck outside the conservation reserve than inside, a trend seen also in livestock populations. Manoj also estimated the overlap between blackbuck habitat usage inside and outside the conservation reserve and found that the antelope mostly used habitats similarly in both sites.
Another important aspect of his research was documenting the threats to blackbuck in the landscape. Blackbuck tend to prefer open grasslands and tree plantations can be detrimental to their ideal habitat. According to Manoj, who grew up in this part of Karnataka, he was always wary of the Eucalyptus trees in the landscape. “After a couple of visits to the landscape, I realised that the problem at hand was that the conservation reserve that was made to conserve blackbucks was densely populated with Eucalyptus trees, and as a conservation practitioner, I am aware of the harm caused by this tree species in grasslands.” This also correlated well with his sightings of blackbuck in higher densities outside the reserve, where the landscape was more uniformly grassland. Other possible threats include habitat loss due to grasslands being invaded by invasive woody plants and plantations of Hardwickia binata, Tamarindus indicus and Acacia spp.. Indeed, pre-Independence, blackbuck and chinkara (Indian gazelle) were hunted using trained Asiatic cheetah in many princely states, until only a dwindling population of these herbivores remained.
Takeaways and learning experiences:
After two months of intensive research, Manoj recommends the removal of trees like Eucalyptus and Acacia spp. From Jayamangali and uprooting invasive plant species like Lantana camara, Prosopis juliflora, and Senna spectabilis. To help achieve this, he brings up the importance of educating landowners about the risks associated with using these plants for fencing and planting trees around the reserve. Manoj also recommends the forest department create systematic fire lines and execute controlled burning in high-grass areas to avoid bushfires. An additional suggestion he advocates is reserving grazing lands for livestock away from blackbuck-dense regions to avoid competition for critical resources and the spread of disease.
Research gaps are another important takeaway from field research. Manoj is already working towards continuing his study for the monsoon season to see if there are seasonal shifts in habitat usage by blackbuck. He also suggests that future projects could look at the influence of waterbodies on blackbuck inside and outside the reserve and long-term population monitoring of blackbuck in Jayamangali.
Apart from research takeaways, Manoj firmly believes that the entire thesis experience is educational, from planning a study to analysing the data and presenting the results. “I realised only at the end [of my project] that only during the period of my recce was I calm and relaxed and able to enjoy the landscape,” he says with a touch of regret. “The rest of the two months involved constant moving and working full-time in the field with limited breaks or rest days. Part of the reason was time constraints, as it took me a while to form research questions, find the best methodology, and select sampling points.” Manoj also learnt that finding accommodation near your field site is critical. “Connect with people like forest officials, guards, and watchers as they are your best help,” he emphasises. “I liaised with the Range Forest Officer to stay at the Jayamangali Anti-poaching Camp for the second phase of my research – separate from my thesis work – which was very helpful.”
Advice to incoming M.Sc. students:
He suggests to incoming Masters students that they begin early. “Start your fieldwork as early as possible and apply for [Forest Department] permissions when you get the chance so that you don’t end up waiting for months like I did. Meanwhile, do some literature review to find different methods to test your hypothesis and start doing the fieldwork that does not necessarily require permission. You will thank yourself later for this.” He also recommends that every student of ecology and conservation familiarize themselves with advanced QGIS and statistics, two skills that come in handy during the analysis portion of the thesis process.
Another skill that comes in handy is the ability to look after yourself. “Learn to cook basic food items on your own; electric cookers or induction stoves are your best choices. As important as fieldwork is, your health matters – stay safe and well-fed!”
Of course, fieldwork comes with many small joys. When asked about the best part of fieldwork, Manoj has a fond recollection to share. “It was my first week in the field, when I was not yet fixed on my research question. I had thought about studying blackbuck behaviour and was doing preliminary studies for the same. One day, around midday, when I was watching a herd of blackbuck from a safe distance, I observed the herd’s dominant male grazing alongside a bunch of does (female blackbuck). Suddenly he strutted across the grassland, throwing his horns back and walking like an alpha. Then, he starts chasing one of the does, obviously with a specific outcome in mind. When the male buck realised the female was not interested, he simply started chasing another doe, only to be rejected again. This cycle kept on going, and I was thrilled to sit and watch the fun.”
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