A number of enthusiastic youth try their best to attract the one year-old blackbuck and catch it, calling by its name Munna, from its habitat Nallagonda reserve forest abutting Dussanapalle hamlet of Mulakalacheruvu mandal of the Madanapalle division, but the young animal would just appear at the shoulder of a nearby hill or behind a bush at a distance as the the caller is not her life saviour Kasim.
In May last year, a just-born blackbuck was separated from its mother with the arrival of a pack of stray dogs close to the forest fringe village. At the dusky hour, the youngling was trying to cross the Kadiri road, with the menacing canines after it. Kasim (45) was negotiating a bend rearing his herd of sheep back to the village, when he saw a moving gold-coloured object on the road. In no time, he darted to the scene and took the newborn into his arms.
For about a week, carrying it on his shoulder, Kasim made a frantic search to locate its mother. Calling the animal “my son”, the shepherd christened it as “Munna”. Forest Beat Officer (Vepurikota beat) Basheer Ahmed informed the matter to the higher authorities and considering the hot climate and its untraced mother, Kasim was allowed to groom Munna for the next two months.
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The kid was served with green shoots, milk of sheep and pieces of vegetables. It joined the herd of sheep and started sprinting energetically. But its happiness did not last long. The forest personnel took back Munna and released it into the deep forests.
Though the separation was painful, Kasim forgot the happy moments after a couple of months.
One fine morning in September it was drizzling and Kasim was relaxing under a huge rock tending his sheep. Suddenly a bunch of blackbuck crossed his view and the youngest among them caught his attention. Kasim wanted to check the authenticity of his wild imagination. He just cried: “Munna... Munna”. In a few seconds, the young kid ran towards him and kept gently patting him with its forelegs, circling around him. Kasim kissed it, carried it on his shoulder and danced on the rocks. But respect for the laws governing wildlife came in between the “father and son”, and the latter without any fuss disappeared into the grass and joined its herd.
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From that day till now, Kasim has the rare privilege of meeting Munna at the forest fringes. In case the blackbuck is not seen for many days, he would criss-cross the jungle paths, shouting at the top of his voice... Munna. It would bring the kid to his feet and Kasim would feed it with vegetables. Munna also keeps licking some of the goats which had milk-fed him. But he follows the jungle law in true spirit: After sundown, it would voluntarily merge with the golden grass.
If anyone is accompanying Kasim, the blackbuck will never attempt to be in his vicinity. To some extent, FBO Basheer Ahmed is lucky. The animal will exchange looks with him but will not allow him to touch it. “This phenomenon is a miracle. The gratitude of Munna defies human imagination. It is pride of our forests,” Mr. Basheer Ahmed said.