Chinkara looks like a relative of deer. What is the genetic connection and if it’s not related to deer of any type, what animals is it connected to? Is this a wide spread animal or area there certain places to go to see the Chinkara? What other animals are more known in India than anywhere else? A “have to see” checklist.
Hello there! The Chinkara is also known as the Indian Gazelle. It is a gazelle species native to India, Pakistan and Iran. Although they closely resemble deers, the gazelles come from a different taxonomic family. They're from the Bovidae family and is scientifically known as the Gazella Bennettii. Specifically, they belong to the group of antelopes. They are very fast with a speed of about 80 kms per hour. They're also very shy and elusive, they run away at the sound of the slightest noise. To escape predators, they used a technique called "Stotting." In which they start to move very slowly and then leap very high and run as fast as they can to escape the attacker. To distinguish them from deers or antelopes, the Chinkaras or Indian Gazelles have sandy colours with white streaks on their faces. In their knees, you'll find some tufts of hair. Both male and female Chinkaras have ringed horns as well. In contrast, male antelopes have cylindrical horns and females do not have horns. They also have a slit underneath their eyes in which secretions are exuded. To see Chinkaras, you can visit the following parks: Gir National Park Panna National Park Ranthambore National Park Desert National Park In India, there are about 100,000 Chinkaras with 80,000 of them in the Thar Desert. Unfortunately, Chinkaras are hunted in other countries like Iran and Pakistan. The last estimates of their number in Iran is about a thousand. Here's a list of other animals native to India: 1. Lion Tailed Macaque - Also goes by the name Wanderoo, this is endemic to the Western Ghats in India. The rest of the macaque has black hair, except for its face which has whitish, silvery hair. Like the lion, there's a black tuft at the end of the macaque's tail. Primarily, they eat fruits, buds and insects but they can adapt and had been seen to eat pigeon's eggs and nests in Kerala. Latest reports say that there are only 3,000 to 3,500 of these animals in Kerala. You might see them in: Kalakkadu Wildlife Sanctuary Mundanthuri Wildlife Sanctuary 2. Nilgiri Langur - This is an old world monkey found in the Nilgiri Hills, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It has a glossy black fur on its body and brown fur at its head. In 2003, their count was at 20,000 Nilgiri langurs in different regions in India. They eat fruits, flowers and occasionally, potatoes. Usually, you can find them in troops with about 10 members. You might spot them in: Indira Gandhi Sanctuary Kalakkad Sanctuary Mudumalai Sanctuary 3. Nilgiri Marten - This is the only species of marten found in Southern India. You can find this in the Nilgiris and Western Ghats. It's quite easy to spot, with its body covered with darkish brown fur and its throat having yellowish or orange fur. Based on latest estimates, their number is only at 1,000 worldwide. You might spot them in: Eravikulam National Park Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve 4. Khur - There are about 4,800 of the Khurs as of latest count, in and out of the Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary in India. Supposedly, you can find them in the regions in Asia like Pakistan and Iran. However, they are now only found in the Great Rann of Kutch and the Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat in India. It can run at about 80 kms per hour and can even outrun a jeep. You can find them in: Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary There are many more species of animals that you can find only in India. These are probably the most popular and easily spotted ones. I hope this helps!
