Port Mansfield police warn drivers after recent nilgai crashes
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Port Mansfield, TX (KRGV) — The Port Mansfield Police Department is warning drivers to watch for nilgai along Highway 186 after several recent crashes between cars and the large antelope.
Port Mansfield Police Chief David Mayes said the large antelope was involved in a crash Friday and a rollover Sunday, leading the department to issue warnings across social media
Police issued the warning as deer hunting season is set to begin Saturday, Nov. 7, and more drivers could be on the road in the area.
Gladys Porter Zoo Executive Director Pat Burchfield said 12 nilgai were released on the Noria branch of the King Ranch in 1929 for game hunting. He said the antelope is native to South Asia, and its population has grown to an estimated 50,000.
Burchfield said the nilgai don't have any predators in the Rio Grande Valley and have become an invasive species and a danger for drivers.
“People just have to be aware that there is up to a 600-pound antelope that might wander out in the middle of the road,” Burchfield said.
Burchfield said nilgai are most active at night, but drivers should also watch for them at dawn and dusk.
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