- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin launched ‘The Nilgiri Tahr’ project for conserving Tamil Nadu’s state animal by unveiling a plaque at a ceremony held at the secretariat in Chennai.
Nilgiri Tahr’ Project
- A government order was issued about the project in December last year. The project’s objectives were developing a better understanding of the Nilgiri Tahr population, distribution, and ecology; re-introducing Nilgiri Tahr to their historic habitats; and addressing proximate threats to Nilgiri Tahr.
- It was also decided that October 7 will be celebrated as the Nilgiri Tahr Day in honour of Dr E R C Davidar, whose birthday falls on this day. Davidar pioneered one of the first studies on Nilgiri Tahr in 1975.
Nilgiri Tahr
- The Nilgiri Tahr, formerly known as Hemitragus hylocrius, is a rare mountain ungulate that lives in the southern part of the Western Ghats.
- This species is found in a roughly 400 km stretch in the Western Ghats, which spans across Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- The Nilgiri Tahr prefers habitats with grasslands that have steep, rocky cliff shelters. This animal’s local distribution is due to its preference for this type of habitat.
- The Eravikulam National Park is home to the largest surviving population of Nilgiri tahr, with the highest density in the world.
- The Nilgiri tahr was formerly called Hemitragus hylocrius. Its generic name was changed to Nilgiri Tragus after the phylogenetic research by Ropiquet and Hassanin in 2005.
- Status: IUCN Status is an endangered species and protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972.