Boma Technique, Uses, Examples, Key Details

The Boma Technique is a wildlife conservation strategy used mainly for the relocation, capture, and protection of wild animals, especially large mammals such as rhinos, elephants, and deer.

Boma Technique Working

The Boma capturing technique is commonly used in Africa to capture wild animals safely.

In this method, animals are gently chased into a fenced enclosure shaped like a funnel. The funnel gradually becomes narrower and leads to a selection and loading chute.

The sides of the chute are covered with grass mats and green nets so that animals cannot see outside, which keeps them calm. Once inside, the animals are guided into a large vehicle and transported to another location.

Boma Technique Examples

Boma technique was earlier utilised to capture wild elephants for training and service. Following its adoption in Madhya Pradesh in recent years, Boma has been put to practice for the first time in Rajasthan for sending the ungulates to the prey-deficient Mukundara reserve as the kills for tigers and leopards.

Madhya Pradesh Forest Department partnered with South African experts to capture over 500 Blackbucks and Nilgais. Using a Robinson-44 helicopter, they herded the animals into fabric funnels to relocate them to the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. 

In 2022, the Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve had lost several of its tigers and was suffering from a depleted prey base. To successfully reintroduce tigers, they first needed to populate the park with herbivores like Chital (spotted deer). They turned to the Boma technique to move deer from Keoladeo National Park (in Bharatpur) to Mukundara Tiger Reserve.

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