Nilgiri tahr
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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.<ref name=prater>Template:Cite book</ref>
Etymology
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".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Taxonomy
The Nilgiri tahr was described as Capra warryato by John Edward Gray.<ref name="Ham">Template:Cite book</ref> It 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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The genetic divergence from the common ancestor of Ovis and Nilgiritragus is estimated at about Template:Ma, and between the northern population in the Nilgiri Mountains and the southern one in the Anaimalai Hills of the Palghat Gap about Template:Ma.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Description
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 Template:Convert for males and Template:Convert for females. Adult males weigh Template:Convert and stand about Template:Convert tall at the shoulder. Adult males develop a light grey area on their backs, thus are called "saddlebacks".<ref name=prater/>
Distribution and habitat
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 Template:Convert, 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.<ref name=iucn/>
Threats
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.<ref name=iucn/>
Conservation
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Their range extends over Template:Convert from north to south, and Eravikulam National Park is home to the largest population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name=":0" />
Regional highlights
- 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.<ref name=":1" />
- 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- In a significant finding, low-elevation sightings were reported in Peyanar at 270 m above sea level, the lowest altitude recorded for the species.<ref name=":0" />
- 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.<ref>"Squeezing Life out of Ponmudi"</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Population structure
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.<ref name=":0" />
Conservation initiatives
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.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0" />
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":2" />
Historical and current estimates
| 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
References
Further reading
- Rice, G. Clifford, Reproductive biology of Nilgiri tahr, Journal of Zoology, London (PDF Template:Webarchive)
External links
- ARKive - images and movies of the Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius)
- Nilgiri tahr information (archived)