The Chinkara, or Indian gazelle, is a species found in South Asia, characterized by sandy yellowish fur and straight horns, with males weighing around 23 kg and females between 15-18 kg. They inhabit grasslands and deserts, predominantly in India, Bangladesh, Iran, and Pakistan, and face threats from hunting and habitat loss. Classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN, conservation efforts include legal protections and community initiatives to save them from extinction.

1. Chinkara
Gazella bennettii

2. SYSTEMATIC POSITION
 Kingdom:Animalia
 Phylum:Chordate
 Class:Mamalia
 Order:Artiodyactyla
 Famliy:Bovidae
 Genus:Gazella
 Species:bennettii

3. INTRODUCTION
 The chinkara or Indian gazelleis a species of gazelle
found in South asia.
 Characterized by a sandy,yellowish and red coloured
fur with a pale white ventral region.
 They have straight horns with prominent rings and
tips that are slightly out turned.
 Horns are found on both male and female,but
slightly small in females.
 Male weighs approx 23 kgs and female weighs
between 15-18 kgs.
 It is preyed upon leopards and Asiatic cheetahs.

4. GENUS GAZELLA AND ITS SPECIES
Gazella is widely considered to contain about 7
species and 2 extinct species.
7 species: 2 species:extinct
~Cuviers gazelle ~Arabian gazelle
~Dorcas gazelle ~Saudi gazelle
~Goitered gazelle
~indian gazelle (chinkara)
~Rhim gazelle
~Mountain gazelle
~Spekes gazelle

5. Behaviour of Chinkara
 Shy animals
 Avoids human habitation
 Stay as far from human settlement as possible
 Indian gazelle can run at great speeds from 50
to 60 km
 Roaming alone or in small groups
 Survive without water for days.

6. DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT OF CHINKARA
 Habitat:
 Mostly found in grasslands, dessert lands, wood lands.
 Commonly seen in ranthambore national park, gir national park, dessert
national park
 Distribution :
 Mainly it is found in India and Bangladesh and in parts of Iran and
Pakistan.
 Widely distributed in India and it is present in 9 states
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Bihar,
Karnataka, Maharashtra.

7. Diet and feeding of chinkara
• Diet in wild
• Grasses
• Green leaves
• Buds of flowers and fruits like melon and pumpkins
• Majority of their metabolic water intake comes from the
vegetation they consume.
• Mating behaviour
• Do not have specific time for breeding
• Though autumn and spring season are preferred as mating
period.
• Mating system is polygandrous.
• Gestation lasts for 5-6 months and female gives births to 1 or
2 young ones

8. Interesting facts
 Young baby of an Indian gazelle is called a Calf.
 Indian gazelle is known as state animal of Rajasthan.
 In 1994 the species was considered vulnerable .
 In 1996 species was considered a species of lower risk.
 In 1998 an Indian film star, Salman khan was charged with hunting
chinkara .

9. Major threats of Chinkara
 Indiscriminate hunting and habitat loss.
 Hunted for meat and to a lesser degree for trophies.
 Habitat loss through: over grazing.
conversion to agriculture.
Industrial development.

10. CONSERVATION STATUS OF CHINKARA
 Considered as a species of least concern by the
International union for conservation of nature (IUCN).
 Indian country has enacted laws against killing of
gazelles.
 In the north western parts of the India, people called as
bishnoi community protect this animal for their religious
reason.
(A bishnoi priest feeding a chinkara)

11. LET US SAVE CHINKARA FROM
EXTINCTION