The Andhra Pradesh State Wildlife Department has kick-started the first-ever survey of blackbucks along a stretch of islands in the Godavari between Dowleswaram and Yanam with the goal of drawing up a conservation plan to protect the endangered species.
The survey was mooted in the wake of scores of blackbucks getting stranded on the islands that have been hit by the Godavari.
Forest Range Officer (Wildlife-Kakinada) S.S.R. Vara Prasad and Wildlife Researcher (A.P. Forest Department) D. Mahesh Babu on Monday kick-started the field survey, braving perilous floodwaters in the Godavari and its branches. They covered the islands by boat.
