Boselaphus tragocamelus
Silhouette: [unknown] · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) (literally meaning "blue cow") is the largest antelope in Asia. It is ubiquitous across the northern Indian subcontinent. It is the sole living member of the genus Boselaphus, which was first scientifically described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1766. It is a sturdy, thin-legged antelope with a sloping back, a deep neck with a white patch on the throat, a short crest of hair along the neck terminating in a tuft, and white facial spots. A column of pendant, coarse hair hangs from the dewlap ridge below the white patch. It stands 100–150 cm (39–59 in) at the shoulder; males weigh 109–288 kg (240–635 lb), and the lighter females 100–213 kg (220–470 lb). Sexual dimorphism is prominent; while females and juveniles are orange to tawny, adult males have a bluish-grey coat. Only males have horns, which are 15–24 cm (5.9–9.4 in) long.
Major nilgai populations occur in the Indian and Nepal Terai. The diurnal nilgai prefers areas with short bushes and scattered trees in scrub forests and grassy plains. It commonly occurs on agricultural land and rarely in dense forests. Its diet encompasses grasses and herbs, though it also eats woody plants in the dry tropical forests of India. Females become sexually mature by two years, while males do not become sexually active until four or five years old. The time of the year when mating takes place varies geographically, but a peak breeding season lasting three to four months can be observed at most places. Gestation lasts eight to nine months, following which a single calf is born, sometimes also twins or even triplets. Nilgai calves stay hidden for the first few weeks of their lives. Three distinct kinds of groups have been observed: one or two females with young calves, three to six adult and yearling females with calves, and all-male groups with two to 18 members. The lifespan of the nilgai is around 10 years. Typically tame, the nilgai may appear timid and cautious if harassed or alarmed; it flees up to 300 m (980 ft), or even 700 m (2,300 ft), galloping away from the source of danger.
The nilgai is categorised as least concern on the IUCN Red List. Feral nilgai are an invasive species in Texas, USA, where it was introduced in 1924. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Gir National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Satpura National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
No species of the same family or order lives in Lucknow, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Nilgai sighting in Lucknow on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Nilgai in Lucknow on a given day, against about 10% in March–June, August–September and November, the lowest months. That is one of Lucknow's wettest months, with about 320 mm of rain against almost none in November.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Nilgai sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 6
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Nilgai sightings, Lucknow ranks 2nd at about 40%. The best odds are in Jaipur (India, about 50%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Nilgai is recorded against all the mammals logged in Lucknow (6 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
