Come November, Buxar would be one of the most sought-after wildlife tourism destinations.

Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) would start blackbuck safari packages there to draw tourists from New Delhi and Patna. The project has been given the in-principle approval and the corporation is in the process of making the necessary arrangements.

Navin Kumar, the deputy general manager of BSTDC, told The Telegraph: “The Buxar blackbuck tourism project was in the pipeline for the past several months and it has recently been given an in-principle approval. There are two packages under the scheme — the first aims at bringing national and international tourists to Buxar via New Delhi and residents of the state capital are the target of the second. We intend to start the scheme from the coming winter, probably by November first week.”

The packages would be of two nights and one day. “The charges for the New Delhi package would be Rs 3,000 per person. We have tailored the New Delhi package in a way to match with the timings of Sampoorna Kranti Express that runs between New Delhi and Patna. The pickup point would be Patna Junction. From Patna, tourists would be taken to Buxar in cars, preferably SUVs. The charges for the Patna package would be Rs 2,500 per person. The tourists would stay at Vishwa Mitra Vihar hotel in Buxar and they would be taken for sightseeing by tourism department employees,” said Navin. (See graphics)

Tourists would also be able to visit several places of archaeological and religious significance in and around Buxar during the local sightseeing. The spots include Tapovan, Sriman Narayan Raghunandan Sri Ram Ashram at the Naya Bazaar area in the town and Katkauli memorial, about 6km from Buxar town, made in the honour of those who fought on the grounds of Katkauli in the war between the British and Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah and Shah Alam-II in June 1764.

According to sources, the idea of the tourism package was first mooted when a team of wildlife experts and the state government officials visited Chunnilal and Hakimpur villages in Buxar district, around 135km west of Patna, in June 2011. The team sighted 88 blackbucks, 14 blackbuck calves and 99 blue bulls in the village fields.

Despite being a schedule-I animal, which includes the most endangered species, blackbucks (antelope cervicapra) have hardly received any attention from the authorities in the past.

According to sources, the forest department has no authentic record about the number of blackbucks and no mechanism to ensure their protection in their natural habitat. The only authentic information about the presence of this endangered species in Bihar is there in a book Back to Wall, by late S.P. Shahi, who headed the forest department from 1956 to 1969. It contains pictorial and descriptive documentation of the presence of blackbucks in Bihar.

These blackbucks, also called the Krishna Mrig, are spread over Bhojpur, Buxar and parts of Kaimur districts. River Ganga forms the northern boundary, while rivers Sone and Karmnasha form the eastern and western boundaries of this diara (riverine) area.

“The tourists coming for blackbuck spotting to Buxar would not be allowed to enter the agriculture farms or go anywhere close to the antelopes because it can make the blackbuck run away from the two identified villages. Tourists would see the blackbucks from the main roads only. They might be provided with binoculars, if required. The blackbucks have mixed up with the villagers but they might panic if too many outsiders get close to them,” said Navin.

Sources claimed that antelopes survive on vegetation available in fields cultivated by farmers. The name “Krishna” given to these antelopes has proved to be a boon, as local farmers do not hurt them because of religious beliefs even if they damage crops.