TNN | Jan 21, 2013
KANPUR: The blackbuck is an antelope species native to the Indian Subcontinent that has been classified as near-threatened by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 2003. They are horned animals and only living species of the genus Antilope.
Black bucks generally live in open plains in herds of 15 to 20 animals with one dominant male. They are very fast, and speeds of more than 80 km/h (50 mph) have been recorded. They are sometimes preyed upon by wolves and feral dogs. The maximum life span recorded is 16 years and the average is 12 years.
The blackbuck is hunted for its flesh and skin. The Indian law strictly prohibits the hunting of these endangered animals, but occasional incidents of poaching still occur. The remaining populations are under threat from inbreeding. The natural habitat of the blackbuck is being encroached upon by man's need for arable land and grazing ground for domesticated cattle. Exposure to domesticated cattle also exposes them to bovine diseases.
Its protected status gained publicity through a widely reported court case, in which Bollywood star Salman Khan was sentenced to five years imprisonment for killing two blackbucks and several endangered chinkaras. The arrest was prompted by intense protests from the Bishnoi ethnic group, which holds animals and trees sacred, and on whose land the hunting had taken place.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Blackbucks-threatened-by-poaching-inbreeding-and-diseases/articleshow/18112906.cms
KANPUR: The blackbuck is an antelope species native to the Indian Subcontinent that has been classified as near-threatened by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 2003. They are horned animals and only living species of the genus Antilope.
Black bucks generally live in open plains in herds of 15 to 20 animals with one dominant male. They are very fast, and speeds of more than 80 km/h (50 mph) have been recorded. They are sometimes preyed upon by wolves and feral dogs. The maximum life span recorded is 16 years and the average is 12 years.
The blackbuck is hunted for its flesh and skin. The Indian law strictly prohibits the hunting of these endangered animals, but occasional incidents of poaching still occur. The remaining populations are under threat from inbreeding. The natural habitat of the blackbuck is being encroached upon by man's need for arable land and grazing ground for domesticated cattle. Exposure to domesticated cattle also exposes them to bovine diseases.
Its protected status gained publicity through a widely reported court case, in which Bollywood star Salman Khan was sentenced to five years imprisonment for killing two blackbucks and several endangered chinkaras. The arrest was prompted by intense protests from the Bishnoi ethnic group, which holds animals and trees sacred, and on whose land the hunting had taken place.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Blackbucks-threatened-by-poaching-inbreeding-and-diseases/articleshow/18112906.cms
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