One of my favourite antelope- I wish more places in the UK still had them. One of the best herds nowadays is at West Midland Safari Park.
I believe if there are several adult males in a (zoo) herd, only the dominant one will become black, the others stay brown. In the wild that doesn't apply so much as they are better spaced apart. I'm not sure if when a buck becomes black, he can ever go back to brown though! I think Chester have only ever had one adult male in their group?
If I remember correctly, on my first visit to Regents Park I saw a group of male blackbuck in a fairly large enclosure in the old Deer & Cattle sheds, while the breeding group was kept in the Cotton Terraces, which were then fairly new. I think several of the all-male group were quite black, with impressive horns too.
I have never been to W Mids, but it's been a long time since I saw a male as black as this.
I remember the Cotton Terrace group at ZSL, but not the extra males. The Blackbuck herd had been at London a long time before the Cottons were built I think.
I just had a peek on ISIS and there are even less sizeable groups left in UK than I thought- West Midlands is top with about 45+, then Howletts with 22(on the last update). There are smaller groups at Chester(9?) Blackbrook, Longleat, & Knowsley, while Dublin have 1.2.
Saddest of all, the ex-London group at Whipsnade is listed as 1.1. and could even now be less than that. What a shame for what was once quite an iconic species at ZSL.
Indeed; I recall as very small child, pre-Cotton Terraces, London Zoo used to have a fine herd of blackbuck in the large paddock of the old Antelope House (which was demolished to make way for the Elephant & Rhino (Casson) Pavilion).
I remember a children's book I had on London Zoo from circa 1950's, contained a nice photo of the herd running and leaping- well before the days of the Cotton Terraces.
I remember a children's book I had on London Zoo from circa 1950's, contained a nice photo of the herd running and leaping- well before the days of the Cotton Terraces.
Yes, in the days of the old Park Paddocks I imagine, judging by the backdrop.
IMO. a mixed paddock of chital (I don't like the name "Axis deer"!), blackbuck and nilgai on Round Close at Whipsnade would be a very attractive exhibit for people lunching in the cafe. It would be also be very inexpensive, and a graceful tribute to the Indian subcontinent. That would be a nice gesture to the many visitors to the Park from nearby Luton and Dunstable, with their large populations of South Asian descent.
IMO. a mixed paddock of chital (I don't like the name "Axis deer"!), blackbuck and nilgai on Round Close at Whipsnade would be a very attractive exhibit for people lunching in the cafe. It would be also be very inexpensive, and a graceful tribute to the Indian subcontinent. That would be a nice gesture to the many visitors to the Park from nearby Luton and Dunstable, with their large populations of South Asian descent.
A very well thought out idea. Sadly the few remaining Blackbuck and Nilgai often go unnoticed by visitors in the Asian Plains area, while the Chital herd, though still large, is quite shy and sometimes hides away from view.
I would like to see the numbers of both Blackbuck and Nilgai 'resurrected' at Whipsnade- using unrelated animals to add to/invigorate the existing dwindling groups. Diplaying them as you suggest in a seperate paddock would make them more prominent to visitors as well as returning at least one paddock to the 'old' flavour of Whipsnade. I really like that idea.
for those who like Chital, Nilgai and Blackbucks, then all three species can been seen at Knowsley displayed together, probably about 30-40 Nilgai and Chital (possibly more Chital) and about 9 Blackbuck and the male is the 'blackest' blackbuck I have ever seen, Knowsley moved several male 'black coloured' blackbucks about two years ago and obviously kept the specimen one for themsleves.
I recommend you go a windy day you will have every chance of watching the blackbucks run and then spring into the air (four or five foot high) covering 50-70 m in seconds! - a fantastic sight.
Nilgai are currently giving birth at the park about now too.
