Nilgai

Why in news?

• Bihar plans to sterilise the nilgais instead of culling them to control their population in view of repeated demand by farmers to save their crops

About Nilgai:

• It is also called bluebuck
• It is the largest of all Asian antelopes and is one of the most commonly seen wild animals in all of India
• The nilgai is indigenous to the Indian subcontinent.
• It is the only one of the four Indian antelopes that is still abundant.
• Nilgai prefer areas with short bushes and scattered trees in scrub forests and grassy plains. It is common in agricultural land, but rarely in dense forest.
• IUCN Status : Least Concern
• Nilgai, in India, comes under Schedule III of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

Declaring as vermins

• The governments of Bihar, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand have urged the Government of India to declare the nilgai as vermin; the proposal has been implemented in Bihar, where nilgai can now be hunted to minimise the damages incurred by locals.
• As per Section 62 of the Wild Life Protection Act, the Central Government may, by notification, declare any wild animal other than those specified in Schedule I and Part II of Schedule II to be vermin for any area and for a specific period.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

With reference to ‘Nilgai’, consider the following statements:

1. They are commonly found in dense forests

2. They are protected under Schedule III of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer