From the archive record
A cow herder brought this Nilgai to sell at Asia's largest cattle fair, Sonepur Mela, in India's state of Bihar. The illegal trafficking of wild animals in India is a serious threat to wild populations and even though the Blue bull or nilgai is not a rear animal, the trend must be checked and the law is strict in this regard. For a wild antelope, this nil gai is quite tame and happily gets patted and eats from the hands of children. The Sonepur Cattle Fair or Malegaon Mela is held on Kartik Poornima (the full moon day) in the month of November in Sonepur, Bihar, on the confluence of river Ganges and Gandak. It is also known as Harihar Kshetra Mela and it attracts visitors from all over Asia. Till date, it is the biggest cattle fair of Asia and stretches on from fifteen days to one month. I