India's first project to conserve endangered mountain goat 'Nilgiri Tahr'

Nilgiri Tahr (locally known as Varaiaadu), a critically endangered mountain goat species is found in the forests of the Southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Estimates from a 2015 World Wildlife Fund for Nature report suggest that there are only 3,122 Nilgiri Tahr, indicating its dwindling numbers. These mountain goats used to inhabit a large part of the Western Ghats between Kerala and Tamil Nadu but have been severely restricted to a few areas owing to habitat loss, biotic pressure, invasive species and climate change etc. A new project has been announced to protect and conserve the animal.

The Tamil Nadu Government issued orders for setting up "The Project Nilgiri Tahr", which aims to protect what is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.The government order detailed that the project shall be set up at a cost of Rs. 25.14 Crore ($ 3.03 million) and is to be implemented during a five-year period from 2022-2027.

The project will involve amultipronged strategy such as synchronised surveys to estimate numbers of Nilgiri Tahr individuals through the use of radio telemetry, radio collaring etc. The project will also have a major component to restore the fragmented habitats of the Tahr. Restoration of shola grasslands which is the major habitat for the animal will be taken up as a priority activity, the government order stated. In order to enhance awareness about the need for the conservation of the Nilgiri Tahr, October 7thwould be celebrated as "Nilgiri Tahr Day," it added.

Nilgiri Tahr is the only caprine (goat or sheep) species found in the tropical mountains of southern India. The Tahrs inhabit meadows with steep cliffs at elevations between 300-2600 meters above sea level. The species can live in the wild for up to nine years, however, its typical lifespan is around three years, owing to high infant mortality rates. In captivity, the species can live up to 20 years and the Tahr can give birth to one lamb each year, after a six-month gestation period. Tigers, leopards and wild dogs are the primary predators that target the Nilgiri Tahr.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE