Blackbuck

Antilope cervicapra

The blackbuck, Antilope cervicapra, has long been one of the most abundant herbivores on the Indian peninsula. It has disappeared from Pakistan and Bangladesh and now survives only in India, where it is protected.

Habits of blackbucks

Blackbuck antelopes are gregarious. After fierce battles between males, the winner will rule over a harem of around fifty females and young, defending it by marking his territory with droppings and secretions produced by his "tear glands" (glands located under the eyes). Unattached males remain at a distance.

At the first sign of danger, the herd flees at a rapid gallop of nearly 80 km/h, interspersed with jumps of up to 2 m high and 6 m long!

Blackbuck's diet

Blackbucks usually feed early in the morning or late in the afternoon, spending the rest of the day lying down and ruminating in the shade.

An endangered antelope

Hunted for its horns or because of the damage it causes to cereal crops, and victim of the destruction of its habitat, the Indian antelope has virtually disappeared from certain regions. It is now protected in many Indian reserves. In the United States and Argentina, it has been introduced as game in large hunting estates.

How can you tell blackbuck antelopes apart?

As adults, only males have an almost black coat on their backs and long spiral horns that can measure up to 70 cm. Females are smaller and have a light-coloured coat.

A sacred antelope?

The blackbuck is no longer considered a sacred animal in Hindu mythology, except among the Bishnois, a small Indian community that has a policy of not killing any animals: it is believed to be the reincarnation of ancestors, and it is not uncommon to see women breastfeeding orphaned fawns.