Nilgais may be seen practically anywhere in campus. (photo by Prateek Gupta)
Nilgai are large antelopes, that live in the wild fringes of the campus in matriarchal groups. At certain times of the year, the young males are kicked out by the brood, and they wonder around our gardens, munching up flowers and other delicacies.
Nilgais may be seen practically anywhere in campus. (photo by Prateek Gupta)
They are large, powerful, graceful creatures. They are usually harmless, but seeing (and hearing) one run very close can be fearsome, and people have injured themselves trying to get away. Their strength is legendary; a friend saw one standing next to his compound fence about 5 feet high - and then it jumped across, practically from a standstill.
In Oct 2007, Sainath ran into this jungle cat on a campus road. A shy and rarely-seen denizen of the wild, the jungle cat is more heavily built, with stronger legs and a bushier tail than the domestic variety, though they are known to interbreed. It was stalking some peafowl juveniles; the chase appears to have been unsuccessful at least on this occasion.
But they will often be looking at you, especially if you have this big camera
that is making strange noises:
And here's one where he's just out on a limb:
More images. (Click on thumbs for full images)
Read the full photo-story: The Babblers and the Cat.
In fact, the whole family is forever hanging around. (Click to see full
images)
From some time back...
But sometimes she's not too sure she trusts me:
