The Forgotten Antelope
Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:32 pm
It is said to be a primitive animal which has not evolved for millions of years and probably this is the reason why it has survived successfully in the wild. Which ever way you look at it, its name or its physical characteristics, the animal comes across as a mix of many attributes.
We are talking about the ‘Nilgai’, called as Boselaphos Tragoscamelos - Bos (Latin) an ox; elaphos (Greek) a deer; Tragos (Greek) a he-goat; kamelos (Greek) a camel. This odd combination of names is probably on account of the Nilgai's strange mixture of characteristics. Loosely termed as Nilgai, this animal is in fact an antelope. The term Nilgai meaning ‘blue cow’ is for the male due to its bluish grey skin colour. In Haryana this animal is called as ‘Roz’.
Nilgai is a typical large antelope that is to be found inhabiting vast tracts of the subcontinent. In India they are found in North and Central regions in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and some parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Africa being such a large reserve of wildlife does not posses the Nilgai. African bushbuck comes closest to the Nilgai in look and appearance.
The Nilgai prefers grassy areas with short scattered bush and trees. It has a distinct dislike for dense forest but is comfortable living on the fringes of large forest areas especially around the wildlife sanctuaries and attached forest reserve areas. It is also found in large numbers in the agricultural belt stretching from Punjab to Bihar where it mainly lives of the agricultural crops. The animal is purely vegetarian and lives on a mixed diet of grass, herbs and leaves. It can stand on its hind legs to reach the overhanging branches and has been seen to kneel on its front legs to graze (rarely) or reach water.
The animal is extremely hardy and can survive without water for quite a few days. This characteristic has enabled it to adapt to the harsh scrub open jungle areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. There have been reports of large herds of Nilgai sometimes numbering over 100 to roam freely in these areas.
Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Wolf and Wild Dog are the main predators of Nilgai. But great reduction in the predator population, protection under law and religious customs has enabled the Nilgai population to grow in abundance. These animals are prolific breeders and usually give birth to two off springs at a time. They do not have any particular breeding season. Mating peaks around December-March, with the resulting calves born in September and October, after a gestation period of eight months. Nilgai have been known to live up to 21 years but in the wild this age is rarely attained.
Over the ages Nilgai has provided the sports hunter a formidable quarry. Mughal era paintings depict the Nilgai being hunted from horse back. Sometimes dogs were used to chase and tire the animal before it was shot using bow and arrows or speared to death. During the British times Nilgai hunting was quite prevalent. British officers on leave from work used to indulge in this sport actively. The use of modern rifles made it easy to shoot a trophy from long range.
The method generally used for hunting was to chase the animal on horse back on open plains and take the shot at the appropriate moment. Sometimes locals were engaged to surround a field or forest area and flush out the animals while the hunting party waited at one end and shot the Nilgai as they emerged. This method is termed as ‘haka’ and the planning and execution of the process calls for a high degree of coordination and management.
Yet another means of getting the Nilgai was to use traps or snares. Wire or strong rope was used to make a loop which was hidden in vegetation along the routes normally taken by Nilgai herds. The ends of the loop were securely tied to a tree or a stake driven in the ground. The idea was to get the animal to step into the loop and as it pulled, the loop would tighten around its foot trapping the animal. Hunting parties would regularly visit these trails and slaughter the trapped animal.
In the winter of 2004-05 I witnessed a unique incident near Aligarh where some local farmers used the loop method of trapping and killing Nilgais that had raided and destroyed their crops, particularly sugarcane. One-inch thick rope was used to make a net with loops at 10 ft intervals. This net was tied to one side of the sugarcane field and secured using wooden pegs driven into the ground. The loops were at a height of 4 ft from the ground.
The men then formed two groups; one split into two and manned the edges of the field to prevent any animal from escaping from the flanks while the other entered the field from the opposite side to the net and began driving the animals towards the net. The ‘haka’ began with considerable shouting and clapping which panicked the Nilgai hiding in the sugarcane field. They fled towards the net and some of them got their necks stuck in the loops. The loops being loose tightened as the animal tried to run away from it. This way out of a herd of about 8 Nilgais, 3 were trapped in the net. As all began to collect around the trapped animals, it was found that one member of the ‘haka’ party was lying in the field and later told us that he had been knocked in the chest by a Nilgai trying to break back into the line of men driving them.
Next came the hard part of putting down the captured animals. The village butcher accomplished this task effectively. In a span of 2 hours he slaughtered and skinned two large animals. One was let off, as it was a pregnant female. I was quite surprised to see that even these chaps followed some ethics. One of the members of the party told me that the blood and gore left in the field at the site of the slaughter were enough to keep the animals away for at least 2-3 weeks. The meat was later divided up amongst the members of the party.
This incident highlights the man vs animal conflict. Destruction of natural habitat and absence of an effective government program forces the farmers to take the matters into their own hands to protect their crops and save their meager earnings. The animal for no fault of theirs has to bear the brunt of such action leading to an untimely and sometimes painful end.
Today the Hindu religious sentiments prevent hunting and killing of these antelopes. As a result they have grown vastly in numbers in certain areas and cause wide spread damage to crops. Some farming communities do not mind killing these animals but it is largely done to scare them away from the agricultural fields rather than for sport or meat. Some state governments have opened controlled culling under the supervision of District administration and Wildlife authorities but lack of field knowledge and arbitrary interpretation of rules makes the whole process not worthwhile. Nobody wants to be charged with illegal hunting just like some well known personalities have recently been accused of this act and tried in court.
Hunting of Nilgai is banned under the Indian Wildlife Act 1972 though the animal is termed as a least threatened species. Recently Punjab Government has begun issuing licenses to farmers, under a controlled culling program, to put down the animals that have been destroying crops. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh Governments have also opened up Nilgai shooting by farmers in areas where there has been wide spread crop destruction. Other states, that are facing crop damage due to increased Nilgai population, need to observe this program carefully, and may be with some alterations to suit their situation, introduce the concept of controlled culling.
It’s a wild thought but under the Wildlife Department pilot programs can be introduced where sports hunters are charged a fees to shoot an animal. Such activity is practiced in South Africa, Australia and some European countries and the revenue generated is pumped back into conservation issues. A number of ranches in Texas, USA have imported Nilgai way back in 1920 and bred them for trophy hunting. A fee of US$ 2,500 is charged which gives you two days to hunt a trophy Nilgai bull with the assistance of an experienced tracker, meals and basic accommodation at the ranch, meat packing (if you want it! Incidentally Nilgai meat is considered to be a delicacy amongst the connoisseurs of game meat), and taxidermy services for the hide and mounting. A vast and continuous education and monitoring process will have to be put in place to educate all concerned and affected by such culling programs.
I have written this article based on my experiences and hope that those of you who read it will find it worthwhile. I am sure that some of you will contribute to nature conservation and rehabilitation of animals to reduce their conflict with man and in the process eliminate their suffering at our hands.
We are talking about the ‘Nilgai’, called as Boselaphos Tragoscamelos - Bos (Latin) an ox; elaphos (Greek) a deer; Tragos (Greek) a he-goat; kamelos (Greek) a camel. This odd combination of names is probably on account of the Nilgai's strange mixture of characteristics. Loosely termed as Nilgai, this animal is in fact an antelope. The term Nilgai meaning ‘blue cow’ is for the male due to its bluish grey skin colour. In Haryana this animal is called as ‘Roz’.
Nilgai is a typical large antelope that is to be found inhabiting vast tracts of the subcontinent. In India they are found in North and Central regions in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and some parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Africa being such a large reserve of wildlife does not posses the Nilgai. African bushbuck comes closest to the Nilgai in look and appearance.
The Nilgai prefers grassy areas with short scattered bush and trees. It has a distinct dislike for dense forest but is comfortable living on the fringes of large forest areas especially around the wildlife sanctuaries and attached forest reserve areas. It is also found in large numbers in the agricultural belt stretching from Punjab to Bihar where it mainly lives of the agricultural crops. The animal is purely vegetarian and lives on a mixed diet of grass, herbs and leaves. It can stand on its hind legs to reach the overhanging branches and has been seen to kneel on its front legs to graze (rarely) or reach water.
The animal is extremely hardy and can survive without water for quite a few days. This characteristic has enabled it to adapt to the harsh scrub open jungle areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. There have been reports of large herds of Nilgai sometimes numbering over 100 to roam freely in these areas.
Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Wolf and Wild Dog are the main predators of Nilgai. But great reduction in the predator population, protection under law and religious customs has enabled the Nilgai population to grow in abundance. These animals are prolific breeders and usually give birth to two off springs at a time. They do not have any particular breeding season. Mating peaks around December-March, with the resulting calves born in September and October, after a gestation period of eight months. Nilgai have been known to live up to 21 years but in the wild this age is rarely attained.
Over the ages Nilgai has provided the sports hunter a formidable quarry. Mughal era paintings depict the Nilgai being hunted from horse back. Sometimes dogs were used to chase and tire the animal before it was shot using bow and arrows or speared to death. During the British times Nilgai hunting was quite prevalent. British officers on leave from work used to indulge in this sport actively. The use of modern rifles made it easy to shoot a trophy from long range.
The method generally used for hunting was to chase the animal on horse back on open plains and take the shot at the appropriate moment. Sometimes locals were engaged to surround a field or forest area and flush out the animals while the hunting party waited at one end and shot the Nilgai as they emerged. This method is termed as ‘haka’ and the planning and execution of the process calls for a high degree of coordination and management.
Yet another means of getting the Nilgai was to use traps or snares. Wire or strong rope was used to make a loop which was hidden in vegetation along the routes normally taken by Nilgai herds. The ends of the loop were securely tied to a tree or a stake driven in the ground. The idea was to get the animal to step into the loop and as it pulled, the loop would tighten around its foot trapping the animal. Hunting parties would regularly visit these trails and slaughter the trapped animal.
In the winter of 2004-05 I witnessed a unique incident near Aligarh where some local farmers used the loop method of trapping and killing Nilgais that had raided and destroyed their crops, particularly sugarcane. One-inch thick rope was used to make a net with loops at 10 ft intervals. This net was tied to one side of the sugarcane field and secured using wooden pegs driven into the ground. The loops were at a height of 4 ft from the ground.
The men then formed two groups; one split into two and manned the edges of the field to prevent any animal from escaping from the flanks while the other entered the field from the opposite side to the net and began driving the animals towards the net. The ‘haka’ began with considerable shouting and clapping which panicked the Nilgai hiding in the sugarcane field. They fled towards the net and some of them got their necks stuck in the loops. The loops being loose tightened as the animal tried to run away from it. This way out of a herd of about 8 Nilgais, 3 were trapped in the net. As all began to collect around the trapped animals, it was found that one member of the ‘haka’ party was lying in the field and later told us that he had been knocked in the chest by a Nilgai trying to break back into the line of men driving them.
Next came the hard part of putting down the captured animals. The village butcher accomplished this task effectively. In a span of 2 hours he slaughtered and skinned two large animals. One was let off, as it was a pregnant female. I was quite surprised to see that even these chaps followed some ethics. One of the members of the party told me that the blood and gore left in the field at the site of the slaughter were enough to keep the animals away for at least 2-3 weeks. The meat was later divided up amongst the members of the party.
This incident highlights the man vs animal conflict. Destruction of natural habitat and absence of an effective government program forces the farmers to take the matters into their own hands to protect their crops and save their meager earnings. The animal for no fault of theirs has to bear the brunt of such action leading to an untimely and sometimes painful end.
Today the Hindu religious sentiments prevent hunting and killing of these antelopes. As a result they have grown vastly in numbers in certain areas and cause wide spread damage to crops. Some farming communities do not mind killing these animals but it is largely done to scare them away from the agricultural fields rather than for sport or meat. Some state governments have opened controlled culling under the supervision of District administration and Wildlife authorities but lack of field knowledge and arbitrary interpretation of rules makes the whole process not worthwhile. Nobody wants to be charged with illegal hunting just like some well known personalities have recently been accused of this act and tried in court.
Hunting of Nilgai is banned under the Indian Wildlife Act 1972 though the animal is termed as a least threatened species. Recently Punjab Government has begun issuing licenses to farmers, under a controlled culling program, to put down the animals that have been destroying crops. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh Governments have also opened up Nilgai shooting by farmers in areas where there has been wide spread crop destruction. Other states, that are facing crop damage due to increased Nilgai population, need to observe this program carefully, and may be with some alterations to suit their situation, introduce the concept of controlled culling.
It’s a wild thought but under the Wildlife Department pilot programs can be introduced where sports hunters are charged a fees to shoot an animal. Such activity is practiced in South Africa, Australia and some European countries and the revenue generated is pumped back into conservation issues. A number of ranches in Texas, USA have imported Nilgai way back in 1920 and bred them for trophy hunting. A fee of US$ 2,500 is charged which gives you two days to hunt a trophy Nilgai bull with the assistance of an experienced tracker, meals and basic accommodation at the ranch, meat packing (if you want it! Incidentally Nilgai meat is considered to be a delicacy amongst the connoisseurs of game meat), and taxidermy services for the hide and mounting. A vast and continuous education and monitoring process will have to be put in place to educate all concerned and affected by such culling programs.
I have written this article based on my experiences and hope that those of you who read it will find it worthwhile. I am sure that some of you will contribute to nature conservation and rehabilitation of animals to reduce their conflict with man and in the process eliminate their suffering at our hands.
