Antelopes change colour after sex
Tuesday, September 11, 2001
Antelopes in an Indian zoo have changed colour after the mating season.

Half a dozen black bucks have changed colour to brown while three have turned milky white.

Officials at the zoo in Lucknow think it might have been caused by excessive inbreeding.

According to experts quoted by The Times of India, the genetic order of captive bucks has been disrupted.

"It happened just like that, after the rut (mating) season," zoo director B Prabhakar said.

He has set up a research study into the changes.

Meanwhile a worried forestry department is planning to introduce new antelopes for a "change of blood" to minimise the risk of such severe de-pigmentation in the future.

The fastest of the Indian antelopes, black bucks are in danger of becoming extinct because of excessive poaching.

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