Blackbuck and spotted deer can now head back to Guindy National Park‘s polo ground from the Raj Bhavan campus now that it’s free of wild growth.
The four-hectare stretch, an important grazing area for the bucks, had not been cleared of overgrowth for eight years. The delay, wildlife officials said, was because Raj Bhavan authorities had denied permission for the cleanup. Some Raj Bhavan officials even tried to install a drop gate to limit the movement of forest staff living inside the park, they said. It was only after prolonged discussions that they finally managed to clear the wild vegetation.
“Blackbuck are animals of the open plains, and thick wild growth makes them uncomfortable and alters their natural movement,” a senior wildlife official said. So, blackbuck were pushed to seek alternative grazing grounds, mainly within the Raj Bhavan campus.
This latest clearing adds to last year’s efforts, when invasive species such as Prosopis juliflora and Antigonon leptopus, a fast-spreading creeper, were removed from six and four hectares of land within the park.
Authorities have now begun planting native grass species sourced from various regions of the park. Once the seeds are sown, an official said the grass will start growing within a month. This is aimed at restoring the polo ground to its original condition, ensuring it regains its natural look and ecological balance.
The Guindy National Park, spread over 2.70sqkm, holds the distinction of being India’s smallest national park and the only one situated within the heart of a metropolitan city. Apart from blackbuck and spotted deer, the park hosts 130 bird species, Indian jackals, civet cats, pangolins, star tortoises, and monitor lizards.
Its significance lies not only in its biodiversity but also as a vital lung space for Chennai. Unlike many other urban national parks, the park has been free of encroachment.
A senior wildlife official compared it to Mumbai’s Sanjay Gandhi National Park, which, despite being within city limits, has faced severe encroachment issues and frequent human-animal conflicts. Mumbai high court had recently ordered the construction of a perimeter wall around that park to reduce leopard intrusions into human settlements.