The Six Antelope Species Of India

Antelopes are "deer-like" hoofed mammals with hollow horns that belong to the "Bovidae" family and are often mistaken for deer. True antelopes belong to four genera: Gazella, Nanger, Eudorcas, and Antilope. However, several other species outside these four genera are grouped into antelopes. India is home to six such species, although two of them, the Tibetan antelope and Tibetan gazelle, are found in very low numbers in the northernmost areas of Ladakh and Sikkim, bordering the Tibetan Plateau. Here is a brief description of these six species:

Blackbuck

Male and female blackbucks. Image credit: Mr Raja Purohit via Wikimedia Commons.

Gracing the grasslands, scrublands, and croplands in India, the blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) is an elegant and beautiful species. Males, with their black and white two-tone colour and cork-screw-shaped horns, appear regal while courting the females who adorn yellowish-fawn to tan and white colouration. Prior to the re-introduction of cheetahs in India in 2022, blackbucks were the fastest terrestrial mammal in the country, running at speeds of 80 km per hour! Blackbucks were almost hunted to extinction during the colonial period, but their numbers bounced back, with the Bishnoi community of India being one of the major protectors of these animals. There are instances where Bishnoi women adopt orphaned blackbucks and breastfeed them to bring them up like their own children. Currently, habitat destruction is their main threat. However, where Bishnoi community villages exist, blackbucks numbers remain stable. The historical range of the blackbucks extended across the Indian subcontinent. Today, it is estimated that there are around 35,000 blackbucks confined to India and Nepal, with the majority existing in the states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. These animals have gone extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Chinkara

 Chinkara from Jorbeer near Bikaner, Rajasthan, India. Image credit: Mvshreeram via Wikimedia Commons.

India is also home to the adorable-looking chinkaras (Gazella bennettii) whose numbers are estimated to be declining by the IUCN. India houses the highest number of this species, and they have nearly disappeared from Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. While chinkaras are highly resilient animals that can survive extremely arid conditions, they have not been able to manage the bullet shot by humans. Indiscriminate hunting across its range for trophies or meat has significantly reduced chinkara numbers. There are around 50,000 to 70,000 chinkaras currently, with the vast majority in India where they are found in sand deserts, grasslands and scrublands, and flat plains. India's Bishnoi community has also significantly contributed to chinkara conservation over the years. Currently, habitat loss is a major threat to these antelopes in the country.

Chousingha/Four-horned Antelope

A chousingha. Image credit: Rigelus, via Wikimedia Commons.

Around 7,000 to 10,000 chousinghas (Tetracerus quadricornis) remain in the wild today in India, with a small population in Nepal. They are distributed from the Himalayan foothills to the peninsular region. The species is listed as "Vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List, with habitat loss being its current major threat. However, in the past, it was subjected to reckless hunting, especially during colonial rule in India. They prefer forested habitats and usually stay near a water source.

Nilgai

Nilgai male in a potato field in Jamtra, Madhya Pradesh, India. Image credit: Charles J. Sharp via Wikimedia Commons.

Nilgais (Boselaphus tragocamelus) are the most numerous antelopes in India, with around 70,000-100,000 individuals. Small populations are also found in Nepal and Pakistan, while they are extinct in Bangladesh. Being both grazers and browsers, these antelopes occur in a wide variety of habitats, from scrublands and grasslands to open deciduous forests. In India, they are found in many tiger reserves, where they serve as prey to tigers and other carnivores. In India, nilgais are not hunted as they are considered sacred by Hindus. The name nilgai means "blue cows" in the local language.

Tibetan Antelope

Tibetan antelope or Chiru in the Changtang Nature Reserve. Image credit: 6-A04-W96-K38-S41-V38, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Although listed here, the Tibetan antelope or chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii) is found in very small numbers in Ladakh and is distributed primarily in the Tibetan Plateau of China, with an estimated population of around 100,000 to 150,000 as per IUCN. This near-threatened species inhabits high-altitude plains, valleys, and hills in the Tibetan Plateau upto elevations of around 5,500 m. The expansion of pasture lands in local communities, the fencing of such areas, and climate change adversely affect the survival of this antelope. Historically, hunting of Chiru for shahtoosh led to a drastic decline in their population and was brought under control by legislation making such hunting illegal.

Tibetan Gazelle 

A typically small antelope species with a slender body and graceful appearance, the Tibetan gazelle or goa (Procapra picticaudata) occurs in the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau region of China, with its range stretching into Ladakh and Sikkim of India, where a small population of around 50 is found. As per IUCN, there are an estimated 100,000 mature individuals of this "near-threatened" species, which has a declining population trend. 

The Tibetan gazelles live in alpine meadows and steppes at elevations of up to 5,750 metres in small groups of 3 to 20 individuals, with larger herds forming during summer migration. Today, the gazelle faces threats from habitat loss and degradation due to increased pressure on the livestock of local communities, while hunting is also practised in some areas.

A Tibetan gazelle in northern Sikkim. Image credit: Dibyendu Ash via Wikimedia Commons.