Nilgiri tahr
| Nilgiri tahr | |
|---|---|
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| Male (left) | |
_female.jpg)
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| Female in Eravikulam National Park | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Caprinae |
| Tribe: | Caprini |
| Genus: | Nilgiritragus Ropiquet & Hassanin, 2005 |
| Species: | N. hylocrius
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| Binomial name | |
| Nilgiritragus hylocrius (Ogilby, 1838)
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| Distribution of Nilgiri tahr | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Hemitragus hylocrius | |
The Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) is an ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western and Eastern Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in southern India. It is the only species in the genus Nilgiritragus and is closely related to the sheep of the genus Ovis.
It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.[2]
Etymology
[edit]The genus name Nilgiritragus is derived from the Sanskrit words Nila(blue) and Giri(mountains) meaning "blue hills" and the Greek word trágos meaning "goat".[3]
Taxonomy
[edit]The Nilgiri tahr was described as Capra warryato by Gray.[4]
Taxonomy
[edit]The species was formerly placed in the genus Hemitragus together with the Himalayan tahr (H. jemlahicus) and the Arabian tahr (Arabitragus jayakari). A 2005 phylogenetic analysis showed that the Himalayan and Arabian tahr are sisters of the genus Capra while the Nilgiri tahr is a sister of the genus Ovis and it was therefore separated into the monotypic genus Nilgiritragus in 2005.[5] The divergence from the common ancestor of Ovis and Nilgiritragus is estimated to about 2.7-5.2 million years ago. Estimates point to the genetic separation of the populations north (Nilgiris) and south (Anamalais) of the Palghat Gap about 1.5 million years ago.[6]
Description
[edit]_juvenile.jpg)
_female_head.jpg)
The Nilgiri tahr is a stocky goat with short, coarse fur and a bristly mane. Males are larger than females and of darker colour when mature. Both sexes have curved horns, reaching up to 40 cm (16 in) for males and 30 cm (12 in) for females. Adult males weigh 80 to 100 kg (180 to 220 lb) and stand about 100 cm (39 in) tall at the shoulder. Adult males develop a light grey area on their backs, thus are called "saddlebacks".[2]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]The Nilgiri tahr can be found only in India. It inhabits the open montane grassland habitat of the South Western Ghats montane rain forests ecoregion. At elevations from 1,200 to 2,600 m (3,900 to 8,500 ft), the forests open into large grasslands interspersed with pockets of stunted forests, locally known as sholas. These grassland habitats are surrounded by dense forests at the lower elevations. The Nilgiri tahrs formerly ranged over these grasslands in large herds, but hunting and poaching in the 19th century reduced their population.[1]
Threats
[edit]The Nilgiri tahr is primarily threatened by habitat loss and disturbance caused by invasive species, and in some sites by livestock grazing, poaching and fragmentation of the landscape.[1]
Conservation
[edit]As few as 100 Nilgiri tahrs were left in the wild by the end of 20th century. Since that time, their numbers have increased somewhat; in a comprehensive study of the Nilgiri tahr population in Western Ghats, the WWF-India has put the population at 3,122.[7] Their range extends over 400 km (250 mi) from north to south, and Eravikulam National Park is home to the largest population.[8]
In April 2025, the Second Synchronized Nilgiri Tahr Survey conducted jointly by the Tamil Nadu and Kerala Forest Departments under Project Nilgiri Tahr recorded a total of 2,655 individuals—1,303 in Tamil Nadu and 1,352 in Kerala.[9][10] The survey was carried out across 14 forest divisions and 177 blocks, including 36 newly identified habitats. It involved 786 trained personnel and incorporated drone-based reconnaissance, GIS mapping, and standardized methods such as the double observer and bounded count techniques to ensure accuracy and consistency. [9]
Regional highlights
[edit]- Eravikulam National Park in Kerala continues to hold the largest single population. A wildlife census conducted in 2014 had counted 894 individuals, up from 640 during the first census in 1996. The 2025 synchronized survey reported 841 individuals in the park, accounting for the majority of Kerala’s Nilgiri tahr population.[10]
- In Tamil Nadu, the main concentrations are in Mukurthi and Grass Hills National Parks, with additional sightings in Kodaikanal, Theni, Tirunelveli, and Kanyakumari districts. Some of these habitats have only recently been rediscovered and confirmed as viable tahr habitats through a combination of fieldwork and historical references, including ancient Tamil literature.[11]
- In a significant finding, low-elevation sightings were reported in Peyanar at 270 m above sea level, the lowest altitude recorded for the species.[9]
- Smaller, isolated groups remain in locations such as Ponmudi Hills in Kerala (estimated at fewer than 30 individuals), and parts of Kanyakumari district, where around 200 individuals are spread across ranges including Boothapandi, Azhakiyapandipuram, Velimalai, Kulasekaram, and Kaliyal.[12][13]
Population structure
[edit]The 2025 survey found a sex ratio of approximately 49 males per 100 females, and a young-to-female ratio of 50 to 100, both indicating a healthy reproductive population.[9]
Conservation initiatives
[edit]Project Nilgiri Tahr, launched by the Government of Tamil Nadu in October 2023, has emerged as one of India’s most ambitious species-specific conservation programs. It includes shola grassland restoration, radio-collaring, health monitoring, and plans for captive breeding and reintroduction. [14][9]
October 7 has been declared Nilgiri Tahr Day in Tamil Nadu, commemorating the legacy of conservationist E.R.C. Davidar and reinforcing the cultural significance of the species.[15][14]
Historical and current estimates
[edit]| Period / Event | Estimated Population |
|---|---|
| Late 20th century low | Fewer than 100 |
| WWF‑India estimate (early 2000s) | ~3,122 |
| April 2025 synchronized survey | 2,655 (Tamil Nadu + Kerala) |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Alempath, M.; Rice, C. (2008). "Nilgiritragus hylocrius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T9917A13026736. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T9917A13026736.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ a b Prater, S. H. (1971) [1948]. The book of Indian Animals. Bombay: Bombay Natural History Society.
- ^ Liddell, H. G.; Scott, R. (1940). "τράγος". A Greek–English Lexicon (Ninth ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- ^ Hamilton, G. D. (1892). Hamilton, E. (ed.). Records of sport in southern India chiefly on the Annamullay, Nielgherry and Pulney mountains, also including notes on Singapore, Java and Labuan, from journals written between 1844 and 1870. London: R. H. Porter. p. 284. OCLC 4008435.
- ^ Ropiquet, A. & Hassanin, A. (2005). "Molecular evidence for the polyphyly of the genus Hemitragus (Mammalia, Bovidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 36 (1): 154–168. Bibcode:2005MolPE..36..154R. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.01.002. PMID 15904863.
- ^ Joshi, Bheem Dutt; Matura, Rakesh; M. A., Predit; De, Rahul; Pandav, Bivash; Sharma, Vipin; Nigam, Parag; Goyal, Surendra Prakash (2 January 2018). "Palghat gap reveals presence of two diverged populations of Nilgiri tahr ( Nilgiritragus hylocrius ) in Western Ghats, India". Mitochondrial DNA Part B. 3 (1): 245–249. doi:10.1080/23802359.2018.1436990. ISSN 2380-2359. PMC 7800121. PMID 33474132.
- ^ "Nilgiri tahr population over 3,000: WWF-India". The Hindu. 3 October 2015.
- ^ "About Nilgiri tahr". www.wwfindia.org. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "In Conservation Win, Tamil Nadu State Animal Nilgiri Tahr's Numbers Shoot Up". www.ndtv.com. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Report finds 1,365 Nilgiri tahrs in Kerala". The Times of India. 6 August 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ "How Sangam texts helped track the Nilgiri tahr: Habitats rediscovered through ancient tamil literature". The Times of India. 7 May 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ "Squeezing Life out of Ponmudi"
- ^ "Forest Statistics" (PDF). forest.kerala.gov.in. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ a b "tnprojectnilgiritahr". Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ "TNPSC Current Affairs | TNPSC Monthly Current Affairs". www.tnpscthervupettagam.com. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
Further reading
[edit]- Rice, G. Clifford, Reproductive biology of Nilgiri tahr, Journal of Zoology, London (PDF Archived 20 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine)
External links
[edit]
- ARKive - images and movies of the Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius)
- Nilgiri tahr information (archived)