Which Ruminants Live In The Gir Wildlife Sanctuary In India?

The Gir Wildlife sanctuary is home to many different herbivorous animals, including the four horned antelopes, the sambar, the chital, the dorcas gazelle and the black buck.

Blackbuck, like the lions that prey on them, were once much more sidespread on the Indian grasslands, but hunting by humans has severely reduced their numbers. They are now more common in other parts of the world where they have been introduced, than  in their natural habitat.

Blackbuk are well adapted to the hot, dry grassland environment. They conserve their body fluids efficiently so that they do not need to drink too often. They reabsorb water from their waste products before expelling them, so that the waste becomes very concentrated. They manage to cool their bodies down to keep their inner body temperature from rising to dangerous levels by panting. Drawing in air cools the blood that flows near to their lungs and nasal passages.