NILGIRI TAHR

NEWS: The Nilgiri Tahr is a mountain ungulate (hoofed mammal) found only in the southern Western Ghats of India.

Key Identity:

• Scientific Name: Nilgiritragus hylocrius
• Also called: Nilgiri Ibex / Ibex (common name, though not a true ibex)
• Local name: Varayaadu
• Endemic to: Western Ghats (India only)

Habitat & Distribution

• Found only in a ~400 km stretch of the Southern Western Ghats
• States: Kerala, Tamil Nadu
• Elevation Range: 1200 to 2600 meters above sea level
• Specific Habitat: Open montane grasslands, Shola-grassland ecosystem

Sholas

• Patches of stunted evergreen forests
• Found within rolling grasslands
• Typical of high-altitude Western Ghats
• Nilgiri Tahr habitat = Grasslands + Shola forests (unique ecosystem)

Eravikulam National Park (Kerala)

• Highest population of Nilgiri Tahr
• Largest surviving population
• Located in Western Ghats (near Munnar)

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Endangered
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
• Endemism: Western Ghats

Government & Policy Efforts:

• Protected areas (Eravikulam NP, Mukurthi NP, Silent Valley landscape)
• Project Nilgiri Tahr (Tamil Nadu initiative – 2022)
• Habitat restoration of grasslands
• Anti-poaching measures
• Biodiversity conservation under Western Ghats protection

Ecological Importance

• Keystone grazer in montane ecosystem
• Maintains grassland ecology
• Indicator species of Western Ghats biodiversity health
• Part of the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot (UNESCO recognized)