
Kerala home to over half of global Nilgiri Tahr population, says 2025 report
Forest Minister A K Saseendran released the report by handing over the first copy to Rajesh Ravindran IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, at a function attended by senior forest officials and wildlife wardens.
Eravikulam National Park, which celebrated its 50th year of establishment this year, remains the stronghold of the species in Kerala, with 841 of them. In 2024, it was 827. The Munnar landscape alone supports nearly 90% of Kerala's Tahr population. In Tamil Nadu, the major populations were recorded in Mukurthy and Grass Hills National Park, lying across the State border, highlighting the importance of interstate collaboration and unified Protected Area management.
The synchronised population estimation 2025 was conducted continuously for four days in 89 census blocks in Kerala and 182 census blocks in Tamil Nadu, the blocks having been decided to cover the entire Tahr habitats inside and outside Protected Areas in both the States.
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New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Nilgiri Tahr population hits record 2,655 across TN, Kerala; fragmentation remains key threat
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu's state animal, the Nilgiri Tahr, has recorded a population increase, with the second synchronised survey estimating 1,303 individuals across 14 forest divisions in Tamil Nadu. When combined with Kerala's estimate of 1,352, the total population across the Western Ghats now stands at 2,655 – the highest in recent decades. For a year-on-year comparison, the estimated population in 128 survey blocks (excluding the blocks added in this year's survey) increased by 19% from 1,031 in 2024 to 1,228 this year, as per the survey report released by Forest Minister RS Rajakannappan on Tuesday. The synchronised survey was conducted jointly by the Tamil Nadu and Kerala forest departments. In Tamil Nadu, the exercise involved 786 field staff covering 3,123.6 km and 177 blocks using standardised Double Observer and Bounded Count methods. The data show core strongholds continue to thrive. The metapopulation in Mukurthi National Park, Nilgiris, was estimated at 282 individuals with a density of 4 per sq km, while Grass Hills in Anamalai Tiger Reserve recorded 334 individuals with a high density of 10 per sq km. Kerala's Eravikulam National Park remains the single largest subpopulation site with 841 Tahrs. Yet conservationists warn the overall increase hides a deeper crisis, which is habitat fragmentation. The survey found that many populations remain isolated and fall well below the 50-individual survival threshold. Only nine Tahrs were recorded in Coimbatore, 13 in Kodaikanal, 8-14 in Nellai wildlife sanctuary, 67 in Srivilliputhur, and 27 in Kanniyakumari. Megamalai saw a sharp drop from 118 individuals in 2024 to 87 in 2025, likely due to habitat degradation.


New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Half of total Nilgiri Tahr in Kerala, says study
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Of the 2,668 Nilgiri Tahr across the globe, 1,365 – more than half – are in Kerala, as per the 'Synchronized Population Estimation of Nilgiri Tahr 2025' report released by Forest Minister A K Saseendran on Tuesday. The census was held in Kerala and Tamil Nadu in April. The report said Eravikulam National Park, which celebrated its golden jubilee this year, remains the stronghold of the endangered species in Kerala, housing 841 of them, a slight jump from 827 in 2024. The Munnar landscape alone supports nearly 90% of Kerala's Tahr population. In Tamil Nadu, the major populations were recorded in Mukurthy and Grass Hills National Park on the border, highlighting the importance of interstate collaboration and unified protected area management. The census was conducted for four days in 89 census blocks in Kerala and 182 census blocks in TN. In Kerala, it spanned 19 forest divisions, from Thiruvananthapuram to Wayanad. The exercise also aimed to map the current distribution of Tahr, identify its ecological threats, integrate camera trap data for improved accuracy, and recommend habitat-specific management strategies. Key recommendations include interim surveys in critical habitats, boundary rationalisation, control of invasive species, protection of open grasslands and scientific reintroductions. Long-term plans call for climate-resilient conservation, institutionalised monitoring and improved community participation. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force Rajesh Ravindran, Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod G Krishnan and other senior forest officials attended the event.


Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Report finds 1,365 Nilgiri tahrs in Kerala
Kochi: The synchronized population estimation of Nilgiri tahr, conducted in the forest areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu during April 2025, found that the population of the species is 2,668. Of them, 1,365 belong to Kerala and the rest to Tamil Nadu. Eravikulam National Park is home to 841 Nilgiri tahrs, becoming the single largest contiguous population of the species in Kerala. The latest population estimation is part of the 50th year of the establishment of the park. The report was released by forest minister A K Saseendran on Tuesday. As per the 2024 estimation, the number of tahrs in Eravikulam was 827, highlighting that approximately 90% of the tahr population in Kerala survives in the Munnar landscape alone. The major congregation of tahrs in Tamil Nadu is reported from Mukurthi National Park and Grass Hills National Park along the state border, highlighting the importance of interstate collaboration and unified protected area management. Standardized techniques such as the bounded count and double observer methods contributed to improved data reliability in the population estimation. The primary objective of the synchronized population estimation was not only to assess the Nilgiri tahr population in Kerala and Tamil Nadu but also to map their current distribution, identify the species' ecological threats, integrate camera trap data for improved accuracy and recommend habitat-specific management strategies. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Guanhaes: Unsold Sofas Prices May Surprise You (Prices May Surprise You) Sofas | Search Ads Search Now Undo The population estimation sought to explore such historically known places, collecting information on fragmented tahr populations and the possible reestablishment of habitat connectivity to restore such populations. Tigers, leopards and dholes are predators of the Nilgiri tahr. The Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius), an endangered mountain ungulate endemic to Western Ghats, is a flagship species of the high-elevation montane grassland–shola ecosystem. Legally protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the species faces a range of threats, including habitat loss, fragmentation, poaching, livestock competition, expanding infrastructure and climate change.