: ‘I’ve Had a Gun to My Head’: 48-YO Who Saved 10,000 Blackbucks Chinkaras #IndiaNEWS #Lede Anil Bishnoi was about to call it a night when he received a call from his village informer in Rajasthan’s

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‘I’ve Had a Gun to My Head’: 48-YO Who Saved 10,000 Blackbucks Chinkaras #IndiaNEWS #Lede
Anil Bishnoi was about to call it a night when he received a call from his village informer in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh to save a blackbuck. So, in 14℃ weather, he raced to the spot, driving for 30 kilometres on pitch dark roads.
By the time he reached, the antilope cervicapra had been shot dead and prepared into a delicacy. Anil then handed over the perpetrator to the police, and was subsequently sentenced for six years for killing the endangered animal. Anil had filed a case under the Schedule I of the Wildlife Act, 1972.
The incident got a lot of attention from the regional media and also sent a stern warning to the poachers in the region.
“He wanted to impress his son-in-law with this meat dish and there was no remorse when he confessed,� Anil, a farmer and activist, tells The Better India.
“I have come across several poachers who believe it is okay to kill animals for entertainment purposes. It is because of such people that I decided to initiate a mission to protect these animals in Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar in 1990,� he adds.
The 48-year-old belongs to the Bishnoi community who consider blackbucks sacred and a reincarnation of their Guru Bhagwan Jambeshwar. The community has been known to make sacrifices to protect the trees and animals. They believe that every living creature has the right to live peacefully.
“We will never tolerate any harm to blackbucks. With a life span of 10-15 years, they are nervous and shy by nature. They inhabit jungles, farms and scrubland,� adds Anil.
A recipient of Dalmia Water Environment Protection Award and state-level Amrita Devi Environmental Protection Award, Anils brilliant efforts have been recognised and lauded multiple times by the Rajasthan government. He has been accorded with the status of Honorary Wildlife Warden.
Anil, who once wanted to get into the teaching profession, shares how he has been keeping more than 10,000 chinkara and blackbucks protected across 60 panchayats while tackling death threats.
‘Threats Won’t Stop Me’

Growing up in the 80s, Anil noted the deaths of two to three blackbucks almost every day in his district. While he was angry and sad, there was nothing he could do.
It was during his college days that he finally got a chance to make a difference.
“In 1990, I was studying in a Suratgarh college. One day, our community had organised a conference to spread awareness on deforestation and killing of the wildlife. This made me rethink my life’s philosophy and had a deep impact on my mind. The highlight was the case studies of people who had been saving blackbucks for decades,� recalls Anil.
After finishing his B Ed and BA, Anil returned to his village called Lakhasar and took up farming of pulses and grains on his ancestral land.

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