Project Nilgiri Tahr

Facts for Prelims

Project Nilgiri Tahr

News: Tamil Nadu Government has announced the 'Nilgiri Tahr Project', India's first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at restoring the state animal's original habitat and stabilizing its population. 

About:
• The project will have nine components, including bi-annual synchronised surveys across the division, diagnosis and treatment for affected individuals and a Shola grassland restoration pilot in Upper Bhavani.
• The Nilgiri tahr is the only mountain ungulate in southern India amongst the 12 species present in India. It is also the state animal of Tamil Nadu.
• The Nilgiri tahr, which used to be found along the entire stretch of Western Ghats, is presently found only in small fragmented pockets. The existing populations are under severe stress due to habitat loss and hunting.
• This endemic species of the Western Ghats is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972.
• The population of Nilgiri Tahr has been estimated at 3,122 individuals in the wild as per a report released by WWF India in 2015.