Nilgai (Blue Bull) and Wildlife of Tonk's Plains

The plains and scrub forests of Tonk district support significant populations of nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), India's largest antelope. Nilgai are attracted to the district's agricultural fields and often raid standing crops of wheat, mustard, and soybean, creating human-wildlife conflict. As nilgai are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act and considered sacred by some communities (the name means blue cow), control options are limited. Traditional methods of crop protection include lighting fires, beating drums, and tying plastic strips around fields. Rural communities in Tonk observe nilgai's presence as a weather indicator: large congregations near villages are said to signal an imminent drought. Nilgai also consume invasive Lantana camara shrub, which reduces Lantana spread in some areas. The species serves as prey for leopards and wolves that occasionally visit from the Sariska buffer zone.