The blackbuck is a small, delicate and attractive antelope from the open plains and dry forests of Pakistan and northern India, from the Punjab in the west across to Bangladesh. Female blackbuck and their young are light in colour, but males become darker in colour as they grow, and when they are fully grown they are almost black. The blackbuck have very distinctive horns with between 1 and 4 spirals and can reach lengths of 79cm. Their height at teh shoulder can reach 85cm and they can weigh up to 35kg. The longest known lifespan of a blackbuck was 16 years but 12 years is more common. There were once many blackbuck in the wild, but due to excessive hunting and the destruction of their habitat, their numbers have been much reduced. Blackbuck remaining inthe wild are still vulnerable to poaching and exposure to bovine diseases brought in by domestic cattle. Today there are more blackbuck in Texas where they were introduced for hunting than in India. Blackbuck have been bred in captivity and as a result some have been reintroduced to their natural habitat.

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