Nilgai

The nilgai is the largest antelope species native to Asia, found across much of the Indian subcontinent in open woodland, scrub and grassland. Males are notably larger than females and develop a distinctive blue-grey coat as they mature, which gives the species its name, meaning blue cow or blue bull in Hindi, while females and young remain a tawny brown. It has a sturdy, horse-like build with a sloping back, a short mane along the neck, and males carry short, forward-curving horns that females typically lack. Nilgai are highly adaptable grazers and browsers, active during both day and night, and often live in loose herds that shift in size and composition with the seasons. Regarded as sacred by many Hindus due to its partial resemblance to cattle, the species is generally protected across much of its range and remains common, even expanding into agricultural areas where it is sometimes considered a crop pest.