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Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra in human dominated landscapes are vulnerable to poaching, habitat loss and competition with livestock for forage.Â I estimated population sizes and age structure of Blackbucks in an unprotected site of 61.21kmÂ² in Odisha over a period of one year (October 2012 to October 2013).Â A total of 7,134 individuals in 366 herds were documented ranging from a single individual to the largest herd of 51 animals.Â Average herd size was 19.49Â±0.03 (SE) and ranged from 13.34Â±0.06 in summer to 31.86Â±0.07 during the monsoon.Â Sex ratio was skewed towards females by 3:1.Â The young constituted 16% of the population.Â This indicates that a healthy population of blackbuck is surviving in this area; therefore measures need to be taken to conserve this site and manage the area as a Blackbuck reserve.Â
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