Although Blaschke Exotics specializes in Axis Deer and Blackbuck Antelope, we also feature a wide variety of other antelope and gazelle. We're sure you'll agree that some of these animals are magnificent and striking! The antelope and gazelle pictured below are just some of the species we deal with. Although Blackbuck are the only antilope we guarantee to have in stock year-round, if we don't have any on hand of the particular breed you're seeking, we can acquire whatever you need in a relatively short period through our extensive contacts in the exotics industry. Just tell us what you're looking for, and we'll get it for you. Blaschke Exotics will work with you to fulfill your unique needs.
Blackbuck Antelope
Second only to Axis Deer in popularity in Texas, Blackbuck Antelope are native to the
plains and open woodlands of India and Pakistan. Overhunting and habitat destruction has
severely depleted their numbers in their native range. First imported to Texas in the 1930s,
females are tan in color, while mature males are black along the upper portion of the body. All
Blackbuck have white eye rings, belly and inner legs. The ringed, corkscrew horns of Blackbuck
may grow to reach 31 inches, but those raised in Texas seldom exceed 23 inches. Males weigh
44-125 pounds, while the smaller females weigh in at 44-72 pounds. Blackbuck adapt
well to Texas brush land, which provides excellent cover along with clear grassland. They are
grazers, but will also browse on native bushes as well as live oak and mesquite.
Nilgai
One of the largest of all antelope species, Nilgai are native to India and Pakistan and are
territorial and aggressive. They stand 47-60 inches at the shoulder, with bulls weighing 240-
680 pounds and females weighing 240-470 pounds. Males are gray or brownish gray,
while females are drab brown to orangish brown. Nilgai have white patches on the face and
a white bib on the throat and a dark beard of hair that grows beneath it. Unlike many other
antelope, Nilgai horns are relatively short, and straight, averaging only 7 inches, but trophy sets
may reach 9-12 inches in length.
Nilgai prefer dry, scrub areas or thin forest, where they both graze and
browse. In Texas, Nilgai eat a variety of grasses an browse on mesquite and oak. A tropical
species, Nilgai have little fat and do not tolerate cold well. Introduction efforts have been quite
successful in South Texas, where sizeable wild populations flourish due to the mild
winters.
Scimitar
The Scimitar-Horned Oryx is one of the greatest success stories of the exotic livestock industry.
It is considered critically endangered in its historic range of desert grasslands in Niger and Chad,
driven to the brink by poaching and habitat destruction. While estimates indicate there may be
fewer than 200 animals left in the wild, on any given Saturday that many could easily pass
through the Texas auction rings in Harper or Lampasas. Texas herds number in the thousands,
and it's one of the most common antelope species in the state, behind Blackbuck and Nilgai.
Unique among oryx, the Scimitar's long, curved horns can reach impressive lengths of four feet
or more in both sexes. They are quite slender, curving over the animal's back, and are prone to
breaking. The coat is predominantly white or creamy. Scimitar grow to a length
of nearly six feet, can stand just over four feet at the shoulder and weigh between 380-450
pounds. They actively breed year-round, and are extremely social, forming large herds and
avoiding isolation. Scimitar both graze and browse, and specilized desert adaptions allow this
antelope to survive for weeks without water.
Kudu
Ranging throughout the open forests of Eastern and Southern Africa, the Greater Kudu is
immediately distinguished from the Lesser Kudu by its massive horns, which can reach nearly
five feet in length in truly enormous specimins. The dark horns spiral, making three complete
turns, and are found only on the males. Greater Kudu can grow to lengths of 6-8 feet, and stand
39-63 inches high at the shoulder. They may weigh between 260 and 800 pounds.
Closely related to the Bongo, Kudu have similar body markings, although
not as pronounced and somewhat duller. Generally tan or grey in color, Greater Kudu (and
Lesser Kudu as well) sport 6-10 vertical white stripes along the sides of the body, cheek spots
and a white strip between the eyes, as does the Bongo. Unlike the Bongo, Kudu have a hairy
crest on the neck and shoulders, as well as a dark mane that runs along the throat. Primarily
grazers, Greater Kudu are not threatened. They have keen hearing and are powerful jumpers
despite their large size, clearing heights of up to eight feet.
Besia Oryx
With its sharply defined black-and-white face and long, slender horns, the Besia Oryx, also
known as the East African Oryx or simply Oryx, is a striking animal. Plentiful in the brushy
savannahs of East Africa where it roams in herds of up to 40 animals, the Besia Oryx grazes and
browses, eating a wide assortment of grasses, leaves and fruit. The coat is usually light in color, ranging
from yellowish to greyish-brown with white underparts. The face is marked by a thick band running
from the the horns, through the eye, to the lower cheek, as well as a black nose patch. The long,
slender horns are fairly straight and found in both sexes, reaching lengths of up to 48 inches. The
horns sport ridges from the base half way up to the tip. Besia Oryx grow to lengths of five feet to
just over six feet in length, stand 40-48 inches at the shoulder and weigh between 330-440
pounds.
