The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) is the fastest animal on earth over a long distance. Faced with the challenge of hunting this 80kph beast the Indian princes turned to the only creature that could catch it - the cheetah. But it was brief entertainment. The cheetah can maintain its top speed of 110kph for only 20 seconds and would need to overhaul the antelope within that time - or watch as it disappeared into the distant haze. The blackbuck, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists, was once found in huge numbers over most of India but has been hunted down to a small population, most of which are in the Velvadar National Park.
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