About NILGIRI TAHR (UPSC)

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Context: Recently, the Tamil Nadu government launched an initiative for the conservation of the Nilgiri Tahr at Rs 25 crore.

Details:

Under The Nilgiri Tahr project, the Tamil Nadu government plans to develop a better understanding of the Nilgiri Tahr population through surveys and radio telemetry studies, reintroduce the Tahrs to their historical habitat, address proximate threats and increase public awareness of the species
The project is to be implemented for 5 year period from 2022 to 2027.

What is Nilgiri Tahr?

It is an endangered species and the sole Caprinae species found in the tropical mountains of southern India.
The animal inhabits meadows with steep cliffs at elevations between 300 metres and 2,600 metre above sea level.
It is estimated that there are 3,122 Nilgiri Tahrs in the wild.
Historically, the Nilgiri Tahr was known to inhabit a large portion of the Western Ghats.
But today it remains restricted to a few scattered patches in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It has become locally extinct in around 14% of its traditional shola forest-grassland habitat.
IUCN – Endangered, Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972 - Schedule I