Group composition and habitat use by Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) in the

In recent years, an increasing number of Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) populations have been observed in the Nagarkurnool, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Sangareddy, Mulugu, Jogulamba Gadwal, Narayanpet, Wanaparthy, Nizamabad, Mahbubnagar, and Nalgonda districts of Telangana, particularly in farmers' ields.These animals have been causing signi icant damage to agricultural and horticultural crops at various stages, likely due to the depletion of natural habitats, food scarcity, and the unavailability of preferred dietary items.Furthermore, complaints from farmers in surrounding districts, especially those adjacent to the aforementioned areas and nearby villages, have exacerbated the issue, leading to severe man-animal con lict.In view of that, the study was conducted between June 2020 and March 2021, examined the mean herd size, demographic classes, sex ratio, percent occurrence, and habitat utilization of Blackbucks across seven districts of Telangana State.The indings revealed an average herd size of 8.4 animals, with herd sizes ranging from 6 to 12. Most herd size classes fell within the ranges of 2-7, 8-13, and 14-19, while fewer were observed in the 20-25 and more than 26 categories.The sex ratio ranged from 1:1.7 to 1:1.29, with females comprising the majority of herds.Various social groups were identi ied, with bachelor groups being the most prevalent, followed by pseudo harem, territorial males, females, and mixed herds.Habitat utilization analysis indicated a preference for open ields, followed by crop ields, thorny scrub, and rocky outcrops.These indings offer valuable insights into Blackbuck behavior and their interaction with agricultural activities in Telangana, facilitating better management strategies to mitigate human-wildlife con lict.