The Nilgiri Tahr

 

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.