March 16th, 2025

If your Black Bu(i)ck can attain such lofty heights of ground clearance, would you call it ‘More bang for your Buck’?

Well after a few bird photography jaunts with a friend of mine, this time we planned to quite literally ‘Buck the trend’ and focus our lenses on a ‘flying’ creature of a different kind! The current object of our desire was the Blackbuck, an animal which despite being wingless, can still soar impressively high in the air!

Hoping to spot these leaping mammals in large numbers, we set out on our expedition in the shrub studded plains of Jayamangali Blackbuck Conservation Reserve, a vast grassland that lies in the Madhugiri Taluk of Tumkur district in Karnataka, India.  

So join us on this drive (not in a black Buick though but in a sturdy white Suzuki), as we embark on the quest for these hoppity skippety and very shy Indian antelopes and find out whether we got a bang for our buck or a run for our money!

Jayamangali Blackbuck Conservation Reserve – 

Located around 110 km from Bangalore, the Jayamangali reserve forest is spread across a vast 800 acres of grassland which is dotted with trees like the eucalyptus and akashmoni/ear leaf acacia (Acacia auriculiformis) and some shrubbery.

When we visited in March, the Tabebuia argentea (yellow trumpet) flowers were in full bloom, adding a golden splash of brightness to the otherwise demure surroundings.

This notified protected area has the distinction of having the second largest population of blackbucks in Karnataka, the first being the Ranibennur Blackbuck Sanctuary in Haveri district.

Blackbuck – 

The Antilope cervicapra or Indian Antelope or Blackbuck is indigenous to India and Nepal. This ungulate (hoofed mammal) falls in the ‘Near Threatened’ category as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 

These herbivorous animals are found in open grasslands that are sparsely forested. The males are larger than the females and have two toned fur which is blackish or brown on the upper part and white underbelly. They also have distinctive ridged, corkscrew shaped horns which can have up to 4 spiral turns.

The females are smaller, usually without horns and fawn colored, with a white belly and a distinctive white stripe across the side.

Blackbucks are found at a few national parks and sanctuaries across India, which include the Ranibennur Blackbuck Sanctuary in Karnataka, the Velavadar Blackbuck National Park in Gujarat and the Tal Chhapar Sanctuary in Rajasthan.

They are also known as Krishna Jinkey (in Kannada) or Krishna Mriga in Sanskrit because as per Hindu mythology, they were the chariot pullers of the Hindu god Krishna.

Jayamangali Blackbuck Conservation Reserve layout – 

The board at the turn off on the main road, which announces the sanctuary, has a very amateur illustration of the blackbuck, where this animal has been reduced to looking like a poorly sketched donkey 🤨

The authorities can surely do a better job of depicting this handsome animal!

The vast land has only this one board at the main road but once you are inside, you are on your own. There is also an arch 3 km down the track which actually signifies the entry into the main sanctuary but there are several blackbucks in the region between the board and the arch too. There is a small cabin at the arch which I presume houses the security guard but when we visited, it was unmanned and locked.

Once you enter the arch, there is one main track that runs straight through for around 10 km till the other end.

This path also has several offshoot trails that penetrate into the grasslands  All these are untarred dirt tracks but quite motorable and worth foraying into, for increased chances of viewing the blackbucks.

The place initially seems confusing but we seemed to get back easily onto the  main track after every foray into the side roads. However, it is better to download an offline map in case one gets disoriented and also loses internet signals.

Despite being a protected area, there was no official or security person anywhere, neither at the cabin at the gate nor throughout the premises. But surprisingly there are a few small farms with dwellings which seem to be within the protected area despite their fences.

Also, the dirt tracks are used as thoroughfare by local people and their vehicles, including lorries and trucks.

The other features of this place are a Forest Guest House/Bungalow where one can stay overnight with prior official approval, a pavilion like watch tower and a smaller gazebo near it with a set of what looked like wash rooms at the back.

The sanctuary also houses a lake called Doddanahalli kere (lake) that lies a kilometer behind the guest house.

There is another lake called Mydanahalli/Maidenahalli kere  which is around 6 km from the main arch and 9 km from the main road entrance. This is probably just outside the sanctuary but can be accessed by driving up the main track and making a left turn at the end.

Our experience – 

We left Bangalore at 4.30 am and it took nearly 2.5 hours to cover the 110 km distance. It is a good road all the way, until the turn-off from the main road into the sanctuary.

Within the grassland there are only dirt tracks which are quite motorable and not too bumpy. Keep in mind that passing vehicles can churn up a lot of dust though and there were a few lorries and bikes driving through the sanctuary, that took us unawares and powdered us with dust before we could raise the windows!

We began our expedition with the camera seeking the usual blessings of the rising sun and this time of the equally dominant moon too! Apparently these invocations worked because we were rewarded with sighting a satisfactory number of blackbucks without having to strive excessively!

As soon as we entered, we spotted a few of these animals running around. Being rather shy, they keep rapidly moving away from the vehicle and into the bushes and hence I found it difficult to get clear pictures. The initial haze of dawn did not exactly help either, other than adding a enchanting, fairy tale like aura to the clicks.

Once the sun ascended further, the pictures got clearer but it still was not easy to get them to stay still and pose.

Well I did the best I could with my non-optimal camera equipment and moving car, even managing to get a few ‘leaping’ shots which I was very keen to capture.

I also got a ‘locking horns’ shot albeit not a great picture because even their fights were rapid and short lived.

After chasing the blackbucks for a while, we turned our attention to the few birds that we came upon, some which were perched and some flying around.

We then decided to try our luck at the lake which someone had told us about but we did not realise that it was going to take even more luck to firstly locate the water!

Local guard/guide – 

It is very convenient especially for first time visitors like us to have a local source of knowledge and information. This helps to save time and get optimal results too.

In our case, since there was no one here, we had driven around on our own and managed to figure out the place to some extent and fortunately spot those few small herds of blackbucks too.

However, despite a lot of searching, we were unable to locate the lake. When we were at the point of giving up, we luckily met the caretaker Nagaraju of the forest guest house, who had just happened to come there for a brief while.

He then guided us to not 1 but 2 waterbodies in the vicinity, namely the Doddenahalli lake which was close to the guest house and the Mydanahalli lake at the extreme end just outside the sanctuary. Without his help, we would have not been able to locate or even know the names of these 2 spots because there seems to be no sign of them on Google maps!

Of course in the mid morning heat there was not much to see near the lakes other than a couple of bored herons. There were also pellet shaped droppings all over the shore, which were evidence of blackbuck visits to the water.

After visiting the 2 lakes, we not sufficiently satisfied with the outcome of our quest and so we were reluctant to leave. We decided to perform an encore of our drive, to try our luck at getting better pictures of the blackbucks and hence we turned back and retraced our path once more.

We realised though that when the sun rises higher these animals are not as frisky and animated as in the coolness of the early morning. They quietly retreat into the shade and it is not easy to spot them since there is not much movement. We did manage to see a couple of them under the trees and bushes, thankfully sitting still enough to be clicked albeit in patchy and suboptimal lighting. But we had to settle for these shots because getting closer would mean alarming them sufficiently to get up from their stupor and take off again.

Birds of Jayamangali Blackbuck Conservation Reserve – 

While the star attraction here is the blackbuck, the Jayamangali grassland is home to several species of terrestrial birds, migratory water birds and also raptors.

Some of the birds we found here were the Ibis, Lapwing, Drongo, Jerdon’s bush lark, Black winged kite, Long tailed shrike, Collared dove, Asian koel, Sunbirds, Herons and many more.

There was a particularly stern looking Drongo who posed long and fearlessly.

And a few Purple rumped sunbirds who were vying with the bees for the nectar of the yellow trumpet flowers.

A short video – 

View this post on Instagram

What is available and what you should carry –

There are hardly any facilities in the rural locality and thus not much available in terms of food and water. Hence it is preferable to carry one’s own food and drink.

Toilet facilities – there seemed to be a toilet of sorts near the pavilion but I did not have the courage to check it out 😏The forest guest house has toilets but the place is usually locked and it is not certain if the caretaker will allow usage to those who are not staying there. However, there are plenty of bushes in the grassland which one can hide behind to do the needful.

Apart from food, some of the items you could carry are caps, sunglasses, binoculars, camera and its associated paraphernalia, folding chairs/stools etc.

Early mornings are quite cold in winters, so equip yourself accordingly. Layering your clothing may be a good idea because it gets hotter as the day goes by. Do not wear bright colored clothing but go with neutral colors that will suit the natural surroundings. Wear sturdy walking shoes.

Do not strew food around or litter. Please bring your trash back.

Do not make loud noises or create any commotion while watching the blackbucks and birds.

Where to eat – 

There are no proper restaurants or eateries for several kilometers around the reserve so it is best to carry your own food and drink.

On the route back to Bangalore, we had a dosa at Hotel Kamadhenu at Koratagere Bypass, 35 km away from Jayamangali. It was a very ordinary place but it sufficed for that moment since there were no better options. They also had a toilet which was just about usable!

Diagonally opposite this, we later discovered another place called Hotel Karunadu, Koratagere Bypass. Maybe we will check it out if we go back another day.

Best Time and Season to Visit – 

The sanctuary is open throughout the year but the cooler months may be the most comfortable to visit, weatherwise. Usually mid March to end of June is the hottest period in this region.

Timings are said to be from 6 am to 6 pm but I do not think that anyone is enforcing this and hence I suppose one can go there earlier and leave later too.

It is optimal to be there as early as 6 am if you choose to go in the morning or after 5 pm in the evening. The blackbucks are active until the sun gets too hot, after which they retreat into the shade of bushes and trees and are not as active until the heat reduces later in the day.

One can also spend the entire day there but preferably not in the hot season.

Being there at sun down may also present the opportunity of getting some beautiful sunset shots and with a really really great amount of luck, might also manifest a silhouette of a blackbuck framed within the descending glowing orb!

With a confirmed written permission/reservation through the official channels, namely the Tumkur Forest Department Office, one can also avail of an overnight stay at the 2 bedroom Forest guest house. No other facilities are available at this place, other than the basic stay. One has to carry food or take ingredients and utensils to cook and of course toiletries and preferably bed and bath ware too.

Phone and internet connectivity –

Signals work reasonably well and Airtel, Jio etc seemed to work for the most part in our rural surroundings but don’t bank on it if you need to use Google maps. It is safer to download the offline map.

Additional Information – 

There is no entry fee. There was no one monitoring the place when we visited. We just played by ear and did our own thing.

The area is vast and one can park anywhere. However, there is no real need to park and leave the vehicle, since for the entire trip the car is required to get around the place, though one can choose to walk around too.

The entire area seems to be reasonably safe but do exercise due caution as you would in any open location such as this.

Things to do in the Surroundings – 

Mandaragiri Jain temple – A beautiful Jain temple perched on a hill 63 km from Jayamangali. You can do this on the way back to Bangalore, with a deviation of a few kilometers.

Madhugiri hill/fort trek (Madhugiri betta) – 22 km from Jayamangali.

Getting there – 

Location – https://maps.app.goo.gl/J55rqwBzk7HTrir28

There are proper roads from Bangalore and the dirt tracks are only inside the reserve. It is most convenient to come by private car because the vehicle would be used throughout the trip. It is not practical to go through the vast grassland on foot.

Public transport is not a viable option.

We left Bangalore at 4.30 am and it took less than 2.5 hours to cover the distance of 110 km.

Apparently there is more than one entrance from the main road, so pick the one where you can see the board at the beginning. This will lead you to the arch which is the main entry point into the reserve.

However, we happened to see more blackbucks on the 3 km track between the board and the arch, than after entering the actual premises.

---

Please Note –

This was a personal trip and my narration is based on the inputs I received from various sources as well as my personal experiences.

For more pictures see My Facebook – Jayamangali Blackbuck Conservation Reserve

Also catch me on My Facebook, My Facebook page, My Twitter and My Instagram

Before venturing, please check what birds have been recently sighted. There are a few websites like eBird which provide regional and current statistics.

I would really appreciate your feedback and comments in the comment box below.

March 16th, 2025