Which community traditionally protects blackbuck?
Community custodianship in Thar desert is exemplified by Bishnoi sect who protect blackbuck Antilope cervicapra considered sacred and symbolic of Guru Jambheshwar teachings. Bishnois prohibit killing, maintain water troughs, provide shelter to fawns, and resist poachers even risking lives, as seen in Khejarli sacrifice 1730 and recent poaching cases high-profile. Villages like Khejarli and Lohawat host thousands of blackbuck coexisting with livestock. Traditional law enforced socially ensures wildlife thrives near human habitations modeling community-based conservation outside statutory protected areas. Mastery of this rule helps candidates differentiate closely related categories and avoid common errors in diversity questions.
Ref: Bishnoi Traditional Law Blackbuck Protection Ethnobiology; People and Wildlife Coexistence Case Study Rajasthan