Megan Granger
Texas A&M University - Kingsville
M.S. Student/ Range and Wildlife Management/ Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute
Population Demographics of Nilgai in South Texas
I am currently pursing my master’s degree in Range and Wildlife Management at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. My research project is focused on demographics of nilgai in southern Texas. Nilgai are endemic to India and portions of Pakistan and Nepal. They were introduced into south Texas in the 1930’s and have since established a free-roaming population of approximately 33,000 individuals. Nilgai are known vectors of the Cattle Fever Tick who transmit deadly Babesia organisms to cattle. Thus, knowledge of nilgai demographics is important to understand the role that this species plays within the southern Texas ecosystem. Our main objectives are to determine tooth wear and eruption patterns relative to approximate ages in nilgai, determine preference or avoidance of habitat types, and determine the population structure, density, sex ratios, and reproductive capabilities of nilgai.
