Watching wildlife in their natural habitat is simply Magical.
The sheer joy of tracking and seeking Wildlife in their habitat is difficult to express or reflect in pictures.
The Kala Hiran ( Hindi), Black Buck ( English) , Antilope cervicapra ( Scientific Name) is an Antelope which is fighting a battle for survival .
It is also the only LIVING SPECIES of the Genus ANTILOPE.
Female Antelopes graze in the fields near the village of Bilaspur ,30 kms from Jodhpur .

A herd is led by a dominant male which has a distinctive Black Fur as can be seen in the picture below.
A typical Harem can consist of 50 antelopes. The one we spotted was less than a dozen.
The Black Buck is an ungulate antelope native to the Indian Sub Continent.

The sun was setting and the light was fading fast.We were unfortunately accompanied by two young tourists from New Delhi who were more interested in taking their own pictures ( Selfies) rather than racing against the setting Sun.
However despite their efforts we were blessed as we spotted this herd of about 9 including the Male Black Buck in the open fields moving away from a lake .
The Black Buck requires a large quantity of water unlike the Indian Gazelle ( do read my blog THE ENCHANTING OASIS) which is an antelope as well.

The Black Buck gives chase as it finds a juvenile male ( fur still fawn and horns not fully developed) near one of the female members of The Harem. ( see the feature image)
The Black Buck can notch up a phenomenal speed of 80Kmph.

The Black Back is protected in Rajasthan by the Bishnoi community which consider the Antelopes as Avatars of the Gods.
This inherent belief has ensured the survival of this species which requires large open grasslands and shuns dense forests.
Due to such beliefs the Black Buck numbers have improved from Vulnerable to Near Threatened.