Blackbucks
Why in news :
- A new study conducted by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has shed light on how blackbuck in India have fared in the face of natural and human-induced challenges to their survival.
More findings of the report :
- The study found that an ancestral blackbuck population first split into two groups: the northern and the southern cluster.
- The eastern cluster seems to have emerged from the southern cluster.
- Despite all odds, male blackbuck appear to disperse more than expected, thus contributing to gene flow in this species.
- Females, on the other hand appear to stay largely within their native population ranges, which the researchers inferred from unique mitochondrial signatures in each population.
- The data also showed an increasing trend in blackbuck population numbers as compared to the recent past, IISc said.
- So, it looks like this species has managed to survive in a human-dominated landscape.
More about Blackbucks :
Blackbuck
- The blackbuck also known as the Indian antelope, is an antelope native to India and Nepal.
- While males have corkscrew-shaped horns and black-to-dark brown coats, the females are fawn-coloured.
- The animals are mainly seen in three broad clusters across India that pertain to the northern, the southern, and the eastern regions.
- It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources.
- The blackbuck is active mainly during the day. It forms three type of small groups, female, male, and bachelor herds.
- The blackbuck is a herbivore and grazes on low grasses, occasionally browsing as well.
- Gestation is typically six months long, after which a single calf is born. The lifespan is typically 10 to 15 years.
- The antelope is native to and found mainly in India, while it is locally extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Distribution of BlackBuck
- During the 20th century, blackbuck numbers declined sharply due to excessive hunting, deforestation, and habitat degradation.
- In India, hunting of blackbuck is prohibited under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
- The blackbuck has significance in Hinduism; Indian and Nepali villagers do not harm the antelope.
Conservation status :
- IUCN : Least concerned
- CITES : Appendix III
- WPA, 1972 : Schedule I
Threats involved :
- The geographic separation as well as dense human habitation between the clusters would be expected to make it difficult for them to move from one location to another.
- Habitat degradation and shrinkage
Syllabus : Prelims + Mains; GS3 – Environment and Ecology
