Talk:Nilgai

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Inappropriate tone and Content: Parts of the article (added by an anonymous user) are in first person, and belong more on a hunting advocacy website than an encyclopedia. The only reason I didn't reverse those edits is that there may be some useful content in those edits. However, I cannot verify whether it is accurate, and hence cannot decide on whether they should stay. rajneesh 08:34, 26 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Factual errors and self contradictory: The article also seems to have some factual errors too. For example the population of Nilgai in India (10,000 or 100,000+)??. Needs to be verified Vyzasatya 17:33, 30 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Here is the permission e-mail I got from Brent Huffman (manager of www.ultimateungulate.com ) to use the Nilgai distribution image

Ravi, Thank you for your email - I apologize for this delayed response, but I have been overwhelmed with work this past week. As long as proper credit is given, I have absolutely no problem with letting you use the nilgai map, or any other material from the website.

Thanks, Brent Huffman Manager, UUP --Vyzasatya 8 July 2005 17:04 (UTC)

[edit] English Translation

Translate the "Nilgali in Texas" section into English, please.

[edit] Nilgai, Is it on Asiatic Lion's Menu / Diet ????

The nilgai is the largest ungulate in the lion's range. But it looks like asiatic lions never prey on Nilgai. Is Nilgai too much for the lion? It is for leopard. Asiatic lions, unlike African lions, hunt in solitary. --S-- —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 60.229.224.250 (talk) 09:51, 5 December 2006 (UTC).

How do you know that lions dont prey on nilgai?--Altaileopard 09:01, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I used to researched Asian lions' preys for quite a while, and Nilgai never showed up on the menu. --S--

Do you have sources (papers ect.) or is it just your feeling?--Altaileopard 09:29, 28 December 2006 (UTC)

"Nilgai" is definately on the "Diet list" of Asiatic Lions which do prey on them as well:

Nilgai was definately a regular menu item in the diet of Asiatic Lions, all over the Indian subcontinent. Asiatic Lions were found over a large area of the Indian subcontinent till about 150 to 300 years ago, but Asiatic Lions were killed off everywhere in Asia and in the Indian subcontinent, now they only survive in one and only small Gir Forest in Gujarat India. Their grassland habitat specially in India was converted over the last centuary and a half over to farmland almost completely due to phenominal growth in Indian subcontinent's population. Nilgai or literal Hindi meaning "Blue Cow" - English name Blue Bull looks very much like a Cow, as it is a well know fact that Hindus hold cows "Holy", so now what has happened is since Hindus hold all cows holy and never kill a cow, Nilgais are found in increasing numbers all over in India, its amazing how everything else has gone, the grass land habitat and most of its animals are now extinct locally in most of Indian subcontinent, Asiatic Cheetah is completely extinct in India (and all over Asia but the last 50-60 remain in Iran) for the same reason BUT the Nilgai is found everywhere in India. Its strange since nobody killed them out they today exixt even in small wild patches which have been encirled within mushrooming Indian cities (Also I have seen them in the Indian Capital of New Delhi) and ofcourse Nilgais is found all over India in farmers fields. They have become a major pest species, they destroy crops worth millions but villagers still refuse to kill them, they just keep scaring / chasing them away from field to field. Some Indian states like Punjab and Maharashtra have declared them a pest species locally and issue permits even today to those who want to hunt this specie as well as Wild Boars which have also reached pest proportions and destroy crops.

Now, as to why it seems as if Nilgai are not on "Asiatic Lion's" Diet, it can be easily explained, the "Asiatic Lion" today only survives in Gir Forest, though the Nilgais occur there there is much easier prey namely the "cattle" and domesticated "water buffalos" of local Maldhari a forest dwelling cattle based tribe.

Some References:

HISTORY (Asiatic Lion)

“Wildlife conservation programme for the Asiatic Lion was started by the forest Department from September 1965 with the declaration of 1265.01 sq. km area as sanctuary which was expanded up to 1412.1 sq. km till date. With implementation of wildlife management and Gir Development Scheme, population of lions increased gradually from 177 in 1968 to 359 in 2005. Similarly, herbivore population of major animals (Cheetal, Sambar, Nilgai, Wild boar, Four horned Antelope, Chinkara etc.) has also increased from abut 38221 in 1995 to 49965 in 2005.”

Continues…

Source: http://www.asiaticlion.org/asiatic-lion-history.htm

HUMAN ANIMAL CONFLICT (Asiatic Lion)

“Historical records show that lion in the Gir preyed mainly on the domestic livestock of Maldharis (Joslin 1973, Berwick 1974), which constituted nearly 75% of their diet. However the latest studies conducted by Dr. R. M. Naik, Ravi Chellam and A.J.T. Johnsingh (1993) have shown that 36% of the kills are still from domestic livestock. Therefore, the domestic livestock contribute significantly to the lion’s food in Gir forests. The reason for this may be the fact that the Maldhari “Nesses” are located along valleys in flat to gently undulating terrains where domestic livestock provide an easy kill compared to the wild herbivores which being swifter, may escape into the more rugged zones of the forest.”

Continues…

Source: http://www.asiaticlion.org/food-dependency.htm

OTHER MAMMALS in Gir Forest http://www.asiaticlion.org/other-animals-mammas.htm

Asiatic Lion Info included in African Lion Factsheet:

DIET: “Gir lions feed mainly on chital deer - occasionally sambar, nilgai and domestic stock.”

Source: http://library.sandiegozoo.org/Fact%20Sheets/lion_african/lion_african.htm#diet http://library.sandiegozoo.org/Fact%20Sheets/lion_african/lion_african.htm

This discussion has been copyed by me from the discussion on the Asiatic Lion discussion page.

Atulsnischal 01:24, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Horns

Nilgai - in India, only grow horns if they are males. This is not clear from the article. Also, the pictures do not seem to fit with the kind I see everyday in India in a national forest. 220.224.42.244 16:23, 21 April 2007 (UTC)