By : Shravasti Sarkar
The antics of the sure-footed Nilgiritahr are a treat to
watch, but these endangered wild mountain goats – found only in high altitudes
in the Nilgiris — could be losing their footing. Stocky goats with short,
coarse fur and a bristly mane, these gentle and generally shy animals had been
listed as endangered on the IUCN red list, and schedule I on the Indian
Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 after their numbers dwindled to around 2200-2500
individuals in the wild in 1996.
They are unique being the only mountain ungulate among the
12 species in India that is endemic to the WesternGhats. All the others are
found only in the Himalayas.Males are larger than the females and both have
curved horns. Adult males weigh 80-100 kg and stand about 100cm tall at the
shoulder. Adult males develop a light grey area or “saddle” on their backs and
are hence called “saddlebacks”.
Nilgiritahrs exist only in small, isolated populations due to extreme
habitat fragmentation, illegal hunting, overgrazing by domestic lifestock. They
are, as a result, vulnerable to local extinction. The reasons for the decline
of tahr populations have not been fully understood. Despite several studies
over the years, there are only rough estimations of Nilgiritahr populations.
The species has always been under severe stress on account of the construction
of numerous hydroelectric projects, timber felling and monoculture plantation
of eucalyptus and wattles. All these development activities, especially the
plantation activities affect the heart of the tahr habitat, which are the
grasslands – sholas.
A new study has predicted that most of the existing habitats
of the NilgiriTahr in the Western Ghats will become unsuitable as global
warming intensifies.The study has been published by a team of five scientists,
including two from the Bengaluru-based non-profit Ashoka Trust for Research in
Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in the journal, Ecological Engineering.
The Nilgiritahr has increased in numbers in recent decades thanks to
strict protection within one of India’s most effective National Parks. TheEravikulam
National Park was established in 1978 and covers around 97 square kilometers
. Eravikulam National Park in Munnar is a prime example of a
separate safe haven being created to preserve these gentle beings. In a very
recent survey by the WWF and the forest department, the current population
status and distribution of the tahr across its entire distribution range the
total population of Nilgiritahr was estimated at 3,122 individuals. They have
also located 17 previously unrecorded smaller pockets of Nilgiritahr habitat,
totaling 131 individuals. But we cannot rest on these achievements. The threats
remain and we must remain vigilant and proactive in our efforts to conserve the
Nilgiritahr.
