With two herds of antelopes called Nilgai being spotted in Bidar, the border district has become home for the first time to all the four major types of antelopes found in the country.
As per information provided by Deputy Conservator of Forests Sivasankar S., 37 Nilgai in two herds, one with two males, 11 females, two calves and the other with nine males, 10 females and three calves, have been spotted in the district.
The district has been host to the other three types of antelopes, the Chinkara, the Four-horned Antelope and the Blackbuck, he added.
Naturalist and wildlife photographer Vivekanand Baburao and his niece, Jyoti Biradar, a zoologist, spotted the Nilgai in the grasslands of a forest track in Aurad taluk recently.
The two were visiting Murkhi, Nandi Bijalgaon, Hokrana, Babban Tanda and surrounding villages on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border for a survey when they came across the herds. Ms. Jyoti Biradar photographed the animals and confirmed the movement of the Nilgai.
“We also spotted the Chinkara and the Four-horned Antelope in the Aurad and Humnabad forest ranges. We have photographed them too,” Mr. Baburao said.
Apart from the Humnabad range, the Blackbuck are found in abundant numbers in the Jamistanpur forest near Bidar.
“In fact, we spotted the animals a couple of months ago. But, we thought that they must have arrived from neighbouring Maharashtra and that they might return to their native place after a while. But, they appeared to be native of Bidar as they continued to stay here. We have, therefore, reported their presence. One or two Nilgai were earlier found in the State. But, for the first time, we have spotted herds,” Mr. Sivasankar told The Hindu.
