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Relevance: GS Paper 3 — Environment, Biodiversity & Species Conservation Source: Tamil Nadu Forest Department, 2026

1 · What happened

Tamil Nadu’s third synchronized Nilgiri Tahr count (April 2026) recorded 1,364 animals — a 4.68% rise over 2025 (1,303) and a clear jump from 1,031 in 2024.

The count covered 14 forest divisions of Tamil Nadu and was timed with Kerala’s count to avoid counting the same animal twice along the border. Field teams used a mobile app called Varudai for live data entry and GPS tagging.

2 · The Nilgiri Tahr — Species at a Glance

The Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) is a hoofed mountain animal found only in south India. It is locally called Varayaadu and is the State Animal of Tamil Nadu.

Where it lives
Only in the Southern Western Ghats
Open grasslands mixed with small shola forest patches, at 1,200–2,600 m, across Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
State response
Project Nilgiri Tahr (2023)
Tamil Nadu’s ₹25 crore plan to count Tahrs, restore grasslands, remove invasive plants and bring Tahrs back to lost areas.
Why it matters
A sign of grassland health
Spreads seeds and nutrients through grazing; main prey for leopards; its numbers reveal whether the grassland ecosystem is healthy.
Main threats
Habitat loss & disease
Grasslands lost to wattle and eucalyptus plantations, cattle eating the same grass, brucellosis spread from livestock, and broken movement paths.

  • Top region in Tamil Nadu: Anamalai Hills hold 44.87% of the state’s Tahrs; Nilgiris is next with 29.25%.
  • Highest count by division: Pollachi Forest Division (438), followed by Udhagai Division of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (313).
  • Global stronghold: Eravikulam National Park in Kerala has the largest single group of Nilgiri Tahrs in the world.
  • Healthy age mix: Adult females 38.4%, adult males 34.6%, young animals 27% — showing active breeding.

UPSC Value Box
Shola forest Small, low evergreen forest patches found inside high-altitude grasslands of the Western Ghats. Together they form the shola–grassland mosaic.
Ungulate An animal that walks on hooves (like deer, antelope, goat).
Endemic species A species found naturally only in one specific area and nowhere else in the world.
Schedule I, WPA 1972 The highest level of legal protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Hunting is fully banned and the punishment is the strictest.
IUCN status — Endangered A species facing a very high risk of dying out in the wild in the near future.
Brucellosis A disease that spreads from cattle to wild animals when they graze in the same area.
Synchronized count A count done at the same time across many areas, so a moving animal is not counted twice.
Anamalai Hills A hill range in the Western Ghats spread across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The most important Nilgiri Tahr home today.

MCQ Practice Question
Q. With reference to the Nilgiri Tahr, consider the following statements:

  1. It is the only hoofed mountain animal found naturally only in southern India and is the State Animal of Tamil Nadu.
  2. Eravikulam National Park, which has the largest single group of Nilgiri Tahrs in the world, lies in the state of Tamil Nadu.
  3. The species is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and is marked as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only    (b) 2 and 3 only    (c) 1 and 3 only    (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

  • Statement 1 — Correct: The Nilgiri Tahr is the only hoofed mountain animal found naturally only in south India, and is the State Animal of Tamil Nadu.
  • Statement 2 — Incorrect (the trap — wrong state): Eravikulam National Park is in Kerala (Idukki district), not Tamil Nadu. It does have the largest single group of Nilgiri Tahrs in the world.
  • Statement 3 — Correct: The species is in Schedule I of the WPA, 1972 (highest protection) and is marked Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

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