Antilope cervicapra

– Near Threatened

Taxonomy

Kingdom:

ANIMALIA

Phylum:

CHORDATA

Class:

MAMMALIA

Order:

ARTIODACTYLA

Family:

BOVIDAE

Scientific Name:

Antilope cervicapra

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Name/s:

English	—	BLACKBUCK
French	—	ANTILOPE CERVICAPRE
Spanish	—	CERVICAPRA

Assessment Information

Red List Category & Criteria:

NT ver 3.1 (2001)

Year Assessed:

2003

Assessor/s:

Mallon, D.P. (Antelope Specialist Group)

Evaluator/s:

Rahmani, A.R. & Mallon, D.P. (Antelope Red List Authority)

Justification:

Range and numbers have declined sharply during the last 100 years. More recently, numbers increased from 24,000 in the late 1970s to an estimated 50,000, and the population was described as reasonably secure and increasing in many protected areas and a crop pest in some places (Rahmani 2001).

However, blackbuck habitat is subject to heavy pressure from human population growth, increasing numbers of domestic livestock, and economic development. The area available is declining and the species is estimated to be close to meeting the 30% decline figure over ten years that would qualify for Vulnerable under criterion A3(c).

History:

1994	-	Vulnerable (Groombridge 1994)
1996	-	Vulnerable (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range

Range Description:

Antilope cervicapra formerly occurred across almost the whole of the Indian subcontinent. Range decreased sharply during the 20th century and the taxon is extinct in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. Attempted reintroductions have taken place in Pakistan and Nepal.

Countries:

Native:

India; Nepal

Introduced:

Argentina; United States

Reintroduced:

Pakistan

Regionally extinct (uncertain origin):

Bangladesh

Population

Population:	The population increased from 22-24,000 in the 1970s to an estimated 50,000. It is considered common in parts of NW and central India. Introduced populations in Argentina and the USA may number 8,600 and 35,000 respectively (Mallon and Kingswood 2001).
Population Trend:

Habitat and Ecology

Habitat and Ecology:

The species inhabits grassland and lightly-wooded country.

System:

Terrestrial

List of Habitats:

1.5	Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Dry
4.5	Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry
8.1	Desert - Hot
14.1	Artificial/Terrestrial - Arable Land
14.2	Artificial/Terrestrial - Pastureland

Threats

Threats:

Habitat destruction through conversion to agricultural use and economic development is the main threat to this species. Some blackbuck are shot illegally.

List of Threats:

1.1.1	Habitat Loss/Degradation - Agriculture - Crops (ongoing)
3.1.1	Harvesting (hunting/gathering) - Food - Subsistence use/local trade (ongoing)

Conservation Actions

Conservation Actions:

Fully protected by law in India. Occurs in many protected areas, for example Velavadar Blackbuck Sanctuary.

List of Conservation Actions:

1.2	Policy-based actions - Legislation (in place)
4.4	Habitat and site-based actions - Protected areas (in place)
5.1	Species-based actions - Re-introductions (needed)

Bibliography

Bibliography:

Baillie, J. and Groombridge, B. (compilers and editors) 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

Groombridge, B. (ed.) 1994. 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

IUCN. 2003. 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 18 November 2003.

Mallon, D.P. and Kingswood, S.C. (compilers). 2001. Antelopes. Part 4: North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Global Survey and Regional Action Plans. SSC Antelope Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Rahmani, A.R. 2001. India. In D.P. Mallon and S.C. Kingswood (compilers). 2001. Antelopes. Part 4: North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Global Survey and Regional Action Plans, pp. 178-187. IUCN, Gland.

Citation:	Mallon, D.P. 2003. Antilope cervicapra. In: IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 06 September 2008.
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