Hey! We are Blackbucks. We are beautiful creatures and sole living antelope species of the Bovidae family. And, the State animal of Andhra Pradesh of India. In Hindu mythology, we are considered as a vehicle for Vayu (God of wind) as well as Chandra (Moon god).
Why are we called Black bucks you ask? That’s because adults of our species have black colored backs and sides.
Well, there are more important things that you can know about us, here they are:
- We are not deer but are antelopes (deer antlers are branched, and antelope antlers are not).
- Catch us if you can! We run up to 80 kmph.
- We have unique V-shaped horns. That looks, Majestic.
- We might look like simple animals but, we are aggressive, and males of our species often fight with each other for territory.
- Do you know that we went so close to be extinct? Our population was only 8000 in 1964, conservation procedures helped us regain our numbers and now we are more than 50,000. Thanks to the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
- You might know that the Indian film actor “Salman Khan” was imprisoned for poaching of our species.
- In Hindu culture, we are very sacred and are called in Sanskrit as “Krishna Mrig” and in Telugu as “Krishna Jinka”. We are considered a vehicle for Vayu (wind god) and Chandra (moon god).
- We are historically represented in various paintings of the Mughal empire.
- Do you know that stray dogs are one of the big threats to our population right now?
SOME QUICK NOTES:
Our Scientific Name: Antilope Cervicapra.
Our Identification: Deer-like species with black body and V-shaped horns.
Our Habitat: Grassy plains and thinly forested regions.
Our Range:
Our Food Habits: Herbivorous, feed on Grasses, leaves, and shrubs.
Our Breeding Period: Throughout the year.
Number of calves born: 1
Our Gestation period: 6 months
Our Lifespan: 10-15 years.
IUCN red list status: Least Concern
CITES: Appendix III
Indian Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule I
Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Antilopinae
Genus: Antilope
Species: A. Cervicapra
COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT US FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
We are mostly found in the Indian sub-continent. Let us tell you more about our species.
Black Bucks are scientifically called as Antilope Cervicapra.
How We Look:
We are moderate-sized antelopes. We are up to 74 to 84 cm high, and the head-to-body length is nearly 120 cm. Males weigh from 20–57 kilograms, females weigh less, weighing 20–33 kilograms.
Sexual dimorphism (males and females of same species looking different) is present and males are heavier and darker than the females. The long, ringed horns are generally present only on males, though females might develop horns too measuring 35-75 cm. The horns diverge forming a “V”-like shape. In India, horns are longer and more divergent in the groups found in the northern and western parts of the country.
We have white fur on the chin and around the eyes with the black stripes on the face. The coat of males has two-tone coloration, while the upperparts and outsides of the legs are dark brown to black, the underparts are yellowish to white in color.
Darkness typically increases as the male ages. On the other hand, females and young are yellowish fawns to tan. Males will grow darker in the breeding season. Both melanism (very dark or black skin) and albinism (Very pale or white skin) have been observed in our species.
We have a resemblance to gazelles; the main difference is that gazelles are brown in the upper parts whereas we have dark brown or black color.
We Are Found In:
We are found in both small and large groups and live in grassy plains and thinly forested regions. We live in a warm climate and move large distances for water.
Our range lies in India, Nepal, and Pakistan. In Nepal we are found in Bardiya National Park, In Pakistan, we are found in Lal Suhanra National Park.
In India, we are found in various National parks and Zoological Parks and also in the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras which are adjacent to Guindy National Park. We are also introduced in Texas, the USA in 1932 and have been popular exotic animals ever since.
What We Eat:
We are herbivores, we eat mainly low grasses. Prosopis (shrub), sedges, fall witch grass, mesquite, and live oak are our food choices. We drink a lot of water.
Our Reproduction:
Mating takes place throughout the year. The process of mating may last as long as six hours.
The female remains still for some time after copulation and later she may start grazing. The gestation period is six months long, and a single calf is born. The new-born is a light yellow in color.
Infant males may have a black patch on the head and the neck. Young Blackbuck can stand on their own, soon after birth.
The young Blackbuck are active and playful throughout the day; young males turn black gradually after the third year. Female becomes sexually mature at eight months of age, but wait to mate for two years. Male becomes sexually mature in one and a half years. The lifespan of us is typically 10 to 15 years.
More About Us:
We are as fast as any antelope and relies on our eyesight to steer away of danger.
We can run at as high as 80 kilometers per hour.
Strong males aggressively establish and defend their territories from other males, giving loud grunts and getting into serious head-to-head fights, pushing each other using horns.
The aggressive display consists of thrusting the neck forward and raising it, folding the ears and raising the tail.
Our Conservation:
During the 20th century, our numbers declined sharply due to excessive hunting, deforestation and habitat degradation. Until 1947, in India, we are hunted in many princely states. There were around 80,000 of us, in less than 20 years; we had fallen to 8,000 by 1964.
By the 1970s, we were locally extinct in several areas. Thankfully, in protected areas, the population have climbed to 25,000 and the overall population went up to 50,000 by 2001.
According to the IUCN list, we are in the “Least Concern” conservation status. We are listed under Appendix III of CITES. In India, hunting of us is prohibited under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
We are present in several protected areas of India, such as in Gujarat: Velvadar wildlife Sanctuary, Gir Forest National Park in Bihar: Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra: Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh: Kanha National Park in Rajasthan: Tal Chhapar Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary, Ranthambhore National Park in Karnataka: Ranibennur Blackbuck Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu: Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, Vallanadu Wildlife Sanctuary, Guindy National Park
