NATRAX Test Tracks Turn Nilgai Heaven, Rescue Efforts Begin

Authorities have intensified their efforts to rescue more than a hundred nilgais who have made their home the vast campus of the National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) at Pithampur near here.

NATRAX is known as Asia's largest auto-testing facility, but officials fear that there could be accidents due to the presence of animals on its 3,000 acre campus.

Yohan Katara, superintendent of Ralamandal sanctuary in Indore, told PTI on Wednesday that in the last five days they have released about 50 nilgais, rescued from the campus, in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, a habitat of leopards.

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NATRAX which belongs to the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries is used to test the strength and performance of automobiles and automobile components before they are launched in the market.

The Gandhi Sagar sanctuary, incidentally, is the new home of cheetahs.

'Prabhas' and 'Pavak', two cheetahs from Kuno national park, were released into Gandhi Sagar sanctuary on April 20.

The sanctuary is spread over Neemuch and Mandsaur districts, around 300 km away from NATRAX.

"It is estimated that there are another 90 nilgais on NATRAX campus. Our campaign to rescue them and release them in their natural habitat will continue," Katara said.

NATRAX was formally inaugurated on January 28, 2018, but nilgais had made it their home before a fence was put up around its grounds.

With the availability of food and water, their number kept increasing year after year, Katara said.

Manish Jaiswal, director of NATRAX, said, "No accident has happened due to a nilgai on our campus so far, but the risk is clearly there.

"Vehicles of national and international brands are often driven here at speeds of 200 to 300 km per hour during testing. We are lucky that no vehicle has collided with a nilgai so far," he added.

In the last two years, more than 80 nilgais were safely rescued and shifted to their natural habitats, the official said.

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