In the early 1970s the blackbuck quietly vanished from parts of Chhattisgarh, including Barnawapara, as habitat loss, poaching and human-encroachment closed in.  Fast-forward: under a measured five-year plan (2021-26), the state forest department translocated 77 blackbucks (50 from the National Zoological Park, New Delhi, and 27 from Kanan Pendari Zoo, Bilaspur) into the sanctuary. These first groups were held in acclimatisation enclosures before release into the wild.

What followed were real challenges: a pneumonia outbreak, adjustment to new grassland habitats, and a need to restore the open-meadow ecosystem the species needs. However, habitat management efforts like promoting native grasses, monitoring for poachers, building watch-towers and improving enclosure health helped stabilize the population. Now, Barnawapara reports about 190 blackbucks roaming the grasslands, with around 100 released into the wild and the rest monitored prior to release.