Surely you are wondering where this antelope got its name from? The name “Nilgai” is composed of an Indian and an English word: “nil” means “blue” and “gai” comes from the English “cow”. The English name “blue bull” alludes to the steel blue color of full-grown bulls. The Nilgai antelope is an Indian antelope species.
Nilgai antelopes love forests and grassy steppes with woodland. They feed on grass, herbs and leaves. They can easily stand on their hind legs and reach higher leaves in the trees. Nilgai antelopes live in herds of 6 to 20 animals. Old males move around alone. The stately bull likes to roam proudly and freely through the sparse forests and bamboo jungle. When threatened, his attitude changes abruptly: he bends his back, pulls back his neck and tail, sneaks crouching and secretly tries to disappear. Even more surprising is his attack tactics: He falls at the last moment on his Karpalgelenke (his “front knee”) and pushes quickly from below against the belly of the attacker. At the mating season, the bulls fight for the females. A baby calf is born after eight months of gestation. Often, twins are born. The maximum age of the Nilgai antelope is 21 years.
