Fauna of India: Blackbuck

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.