Deers and Antelopes in India

The near threatened blackbuck is found in Central – Western India (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Odisha) and Southern India (Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu). In Andhra Pradesh, it is the state animal.

It is the only living species of the genus Antilope. The horns of the blackbuck are ringed with one to four spiral turns and the female is usually hornless.

The Bishnoi community of Rajasthan is known worldwide for their conservation efforts to Blackbuck and Chinkara. A very effective conservation plan for Black bucks has been taken at IIT Madras in Chennai. It’s a flagship scheme at IIT-M campus.  Black Buck is also the title of the monthly newsletter of Madras Natural Society.

Sangai

Sangai is an endangered brow-antlered deer found in its natural habitat only at Keibul Lamjao National Park, Loktak Lake, Manipur. It is the state animal of Manipur. It is one of the critically endangered species of deers in India.

Chinkara or Indian Gazelle

This is the smallest Asiatic antelope. They can go without water for long periods and can even get sufficient fluids from plants and dew drops

Chiru

Tibetan antelope of Chiru (Pantolops hodgsonii) is endemic to the Tibetan Plateau, this antelope is found mainly in Chinese regions although some individuals migrate to Ladakh in India.

The Shahtoosh Threat

Chiru is well known for possessing the finest and warmest wool (Shahtoosh) in the animal kingdom. This adaptation provides warmth in the harsh climate of the Tibetan plateau, but has contributed greatly to this species’ decline. The principal cause of this decline is to supply the ‘shahtoosh’ trade; the production of shawls made from the fine, warm wool of this species. Shahtoosh stands for ‘king of wools’ in Persian and became a sought-after fabric in the fashion capitals of the world towards the end of the 20th Century. Up to five antelope are needed to produce a single shawl, which is quite costly in international markets. Until 2002, shahtoosh shawls were legally produced in the states of Jammu and Kashmir in India but a vital ban on manufacture has now been introduced.

Protection of Chiru

To enhance protection of Chiru, its prime habitats have been declared as Wildlife Sanctuaries viz. Karakorma Wildlife Sanctuary and Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary. Jammu & Kashmir Government has its own wildlife Protection act of 1978. Chiru is in list I of that act and it is also protected by the Indian wildlife act. Thus it one of the few species which are protected by the two acts.

Barasingha

The Barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii ), also called swamp deer is an endangered deer species currently found in isolated localities in northern and central India, and south-western Nepal. It has already got extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The most striking feature of a Barasingha is its antlers, with 10 to 14 times on a mature stag, though some have been known to have up to 20.

Barasingha used to inhabit the basins of the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers, as well as central India as far as the Godavari River. Today, Barasingha have disappeared entirely from the western part of their range. In 1964, the total population in India was estimated at 3000 to 4000 individuals. In north-eastern India, the surviving animals are found in Assam.

Tibetan Gazelle / Goa

The Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata) is a small and slender gazelle with a compact body and long, thin limbs. Male Tibetan gazelles have slender, ridged horns that are relatively straight with just a slight arch.

The Tibetan gazelle is native to China and India. Although over 99 percent of its range lies in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China, populations do also occur in small areas of India neighbouring the plateau

The population of the Tibetan gazelle in the region of Ladakh in India is particularly at risk. Severely reduced by hunting in the past, it is continuing to decline due to intensive livestock grazing, and may also face threats from feral dogs and from diseases transmitted by livestock.

The Tibetan gazelle population in Ladakh may now number only around 50 individuals in an area of just 100 square kilometres, while populations in some other parts of India have recently become extinct.

Mouse Deer (Tragulus meminna)

Mouse Deers are found in India, Sri Lanka and perhaps Nepal, and have pale-spotted or -striped upper parts unlike the other Asian members of the family. All species in the family lack horns, but both genders have elongated canine teeth. It is basically a forest species, being found commonly in all forest types within the dry zone, and also in coconut plantations and home garden.

Musk Deer (Moschus moschiferus)

Musk deer are responsible for the production of musk, a strong-smelling substance that is one of the most expensive animal products in the world. The male musk deer does not possess antlers, but instead has two prominent, tusk-like canine teeth. Lichen forms an important part of the Siberian musk deer’s diet. The musk deer is found in the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, northern and western China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, and Mongolia.  The main threat to the musk deer comes from being hunted for the musk trade, because it has been a highly valued ingredient in the production of medicines and perfumes.

Musk deer in India

The species of musk deer found in India is Moschus leucogaster, commonly known as White-bellied musk deer

Four-horned antelope

The four-horned antelope or Chousingha, is a species of small antelope found in open forest in India and Nepal. It is the only species currently classified in the genus Tetracerus. Their range extends south of the Gangetic plains down to the state of Tamil Nadu, and east as far as Odisha. They also occur in the Gir Forest National Park of western India. Living in a densely populated part of the world, the four-horned antelope is threatened by loss of its natural habitat to agricultural land. In addition, the unusual four-horned skull has been a popular target for trophy hunters. Only around 10,000 four-horned antelope are estimated to remain alive in the wild. The species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to habitat loss.

Hangul

Hangul or Kashmir Stag is the only surviving race of the Red Deer and is found only in India’s Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. In J & K, its state animal. The last individuals of these animals are found in Dachigam National Park in Jammu & Kashmir.
They were threatened, due to habitat destruction, over-grazing by domestic livestock, and poaching. The Government of India is running a Species Recovery Plan for Hangul since 2009.