The joint Population Estimation 2025 conducted by Kerala and Tamil Nadu Forest Departments has reported a total of 2,668 Nilgiri tahrs across the two states.

• The census report was released by Kerala’s Minister for Forests and Wildlife Protection, during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Eravikulam National Park in Munnar.

Key Findings of the Census

• Eravikulam National Park (ENP) in Kerala hosts the largest contiguous population, with 841 tahrs.
• In 2024, the ENP recorded 827 tahrs, showing a marginal increase this year.
• 90% of Kerala’s tahr population is concentrated in the Munnar landscape.
• Major tahr populations in Tamil Nadu are found in Mukurthi and Grass Hills National Parks.

Ecological and Conservation Significance

• Tahr habitats also support other key species including:
  • Tigers, leopards, dholes (apex predators)
  • Nilgiri langur, lion-tailed macaque (endemics)

About Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius)

• It is the only mountain ungulate found in southern India, among the 12 species present in the country.
• Also known as Nilgiri Ibex It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu, and locally known as ‘Varayaadu’.
• Adult males, called ‘saddle backs’, are larger and darker than females, with a distinctive silvery patch on the back.
• Distribution: Endemic to the southern Western Ghats, primarily in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• Habitat: Nilgiri Tahr thrives in tropical montane grasslands, Shola forests, and rocky high-altitude regions at elevations between 1200 and 2600 m.
• Key Location: The Eravikulam National Park in Kerala has the largest surviving population with the highest density of Nilgiri Tahr.
• Gestation lasts about 180 days, usually resulting in one offspring.
• While the species can live up to 9 years, the average life expectancy in the wild is only 3 to 3.5 years.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Status: Endangered
• Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972: Listed in Schedule-I, providing the highest level of protection.
• The population of the Nilgiri Tahr has drastically declined due to habitat loss and hunting.
• According to a 2015 WWF report, the wild population was estimated at 3,122 individuals, although they once roamed the entire Western Ghats.

Eravikulam National Park

• Located in the Kannan Devan Hills of the southern Western Ghats, Kerala.
• Known for the Neelakurinji flower, which blooms once every 12 years.
• Anamudi, the highest peak in South India, lies on the park’s southern boundary.
• Dominated by rolling grasslands with patches of shola forests in the upper valleys.
• Home to the Nilgiri Tahr, along with Gaur, Sloth Bear, Nilgiri Langur, Tiger, Leopard, Giant Squirrel, and Wild Dog.

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