Know these facts about the state animal of Tamil Nadu, the endangered Nilgiri tahr
The Nilgiri tahr, the state animal of Tamil Nadu, is about to undergo a synchronized census for the first time, something the forest department is looking forward to. Beginning on April 29, more than 700 workers will traverse the whole length and width of the state’s undulating tahr habitat as part of the three-day exercise. The World Wide Fund for Nature – India (WWF-India), which has been researching the Nilgiri tahr for a number of years, the Advanced Institute of Wildlife Sciences (AIWC), and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have partnered with the Tamil Nadu forest department to make the survey successful. These organizations will be crucial to the scientific investigation of this species. Even though the state is ready to go away on its voyage, here are some fascinating facts about the animal.
Information on the Nilgiri tahr, Tamil Nadu’s state animal
The Nilgiri tahr, technically known as Nilgiritragus hylocrius, is the state animal of Tamil Nadu. The Eastern and Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala are home to this ungulate species, which is native to the southern region of India. The majority of them favor remaining at heights between 1,200 and 2,600 meters.
The Nilgiri tahr, which is closely related to the sheep of the genus Ovis, is the sole species in the genus Nilgiritragus, which is named from the Greek word tragos, which means goat, and the Tamil word Nilakiri, which means blue hills.
The Nilgiri tahr is a stocky goat with short, coarse hair and a bristly mane; when they are grown, males are darker than females.
An adult male Nilgiri tahr weighs between 80 and 100 kg and has a shoulder height of around 100 cm. It is bigger than an adult female. Furthermore, because of the light grey patch that develops on their backs, mature males are sometimes referred to as saddlebacks.
The Eravikulam National Park in Kerala’s Anamalai Hills is home to the majority of Nilgiri tahr, numbering around 700.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has this Tamil Nadu state animal classed as endangered. Furthermore, Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972, provides protection for it. In a survey released by WWF India in 2015, the number of Nilgiri Tahr individuals in the forest was estimated to be 3,122.
Rapid deforestation, hydropower projects in the Nilgiri tahr habitat, competition from domestic cattle, and monoculture crops are all posing risks to the population of this wild species.
