Blackbuck
I.U.C.N status
International Union for Conservation of Nature
LC
Least concern
NT
Near threatened
VU
Vulnerable
EN
Endangered
CR
Critically endangered
EW
Extinct in the wild
EX
Extinct
Identity card
Class :
Mammals
Order :
Artiodactyls
Family :
Bovidae
Genus :
Antilope
Species :
cervicapra
Average size
60 to 80 cm at the shoulder
Weight
50 kg
Longevity
12 to 16 years
Sexual maturity
1 to 2 years
Gestation
6 months
Litter
1 young
Diet
Herbivore
Grasses, leaves, fruits, flowers.
Did you know?
The blackbuck is an extremely fast animal, capable of reaching speeds of up to 80 km/h and leaping 2 meters high and 6 meters long to escape predators. It lives in herds of 5 to 50 individuals, made up of a dominant male, females and their young. Adult males, recognizable by their black coats and spiral horns measuring up to 70 cm, remain on the sidelines before challenging the others to dominate a harem.
Threats and conservation
The blackbuck, once widespread on the Indian subcontinent, is now seriously threatened by over-hunting and habitat destruction. It has disappeared from Pakistan and Bangladesh, and is now found only in India, where it is protected in several reserves.
