Report finds 1,365 Nilgiri tahrs in Kerala
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Forest department approves Udaipur dam project after securing land near Sariska
Jaipur: The state Forest Department has granted the long-pending No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the Devas III and IV dam project in Udaipur, nearly two years after withholding it due to the unavailability of suitable compensatory land. The clearance followed the identification of 174.1106 hectares of non-forest land near the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar district, fulfilling the department's requirement that the land be adjacent to a tiger reserve or wildlife sanctuary. The Rs 1,691-crore project, aimed at securing Udaipur's future drinking water supply, is proposed on an equivalent area of forest land in the district. As per forest conservation norms, any diversion of forest land for non-forest use must be offset by providing equal non-forest land for afforestation. However, such land was not available near the project site, leading to prolonged delays. A forest official said, "Initially, the Forest Department had objected even after the Udaipur administration identified alternative land within the district. In a revised demand, the department insisted on land located near a protected area. Following this, the Alwar district administration identified land in the Kalad–Pratapgarh forest block adjoining the Sariska Tiger Reserve. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Learn More - How Watching Videos Can Boost Your Income TheDaddest Undo A total of 340.32 hectares was surveyed, and 174.1106 hectares have been reserved for afforestation. " The process was expedited after the Udaipur administration corresponded with the Alwar Collector, emphasising that the project was a priority for the ruling govt. "After completing the documentation, the revenue proposal has been sent to the state govt for final approval. Once cleared, the land will be transferred to the Forest Department, which will formally issue the NOC. The Water Resources Department had already issued work orders for construction in October 2023. With the NOC expected shortly, physical work on the dam and tunnel is set to begin," the official added.
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Sanskrit Diwas celebration eclipsed by faculty shortage
Jaipur: As the Sanskrit education department gears up to celebrate Sanskrit Diwas on Thursday, a glaring issue looms over the festivities— the acute shortage of professors in state's govt-run Sanskrit colleges and at the Rajasthan Sanskrit University. D espite being the only state in India with a dedicated department for Sanskrit education, the lack of faculty has become a persistent problem. At the Rajasthan Sanskrit University, a staggering 31 out of 50 sanctioned teaching positions remain vacant. Since 2017, no new recruitments have been made, leaving the university, which oversees more than 300 private and govt Sanskrit colleges, severely understaffed. The situation is further exacerbated by the absence of a Controller of Examination since 2022, forcing assistant professors to take on additional responsibilities to conduct exams for the 30,000 to 40,000 students who appear annually. The university's research center has also been without a permanent director since 2011, with associate professors filling the role temporarily. Similarly, the 51 Sanskrit colleges under the Sanskrit education department are operating without permanent principals, relying on assistant professors to manage the institutions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Unsold 2022 Cars Now Almost Free - Prices May Surprise You Unsold Cars | Search Ads Learn More Undo Alarmingly, only 55 teachers are currently employed across these colleges. In a bid to address the staffing crisis, the state govt approved the recruitment of nine teaching and seven non-teaching staff at the university earlier this year. The recruitment process, initiated in April, is expected to conclude by the end of 2023. Additionally, minister for Sanskrit education Madan Dilawar announced ongoing recruitment for 3,483 posts, including 200 Assistant Acharya positions and over 2,700 teaching roles at various levels. .
Time of India
44 minutes ago
- Time of India
Compensation for cut: Tree plantation in Bastar for losing 100s of trees for chariot
Raipur: In a bid to balance tradition with sustainability, authorities in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region have begun planting saplings annually to compensate for the "hundreds of trees felled" each year to build the towering wooden chariot for the 75-day Bastar Dussehra, one of India's longest and most traditionally significant festivals. State wildlife board members and forest department on the local level have initiated the plantation, taking a cue from Jagannath Puri in Odisha, where thousands of saplings are planted annually to compensate for the timber used in 'Rath Yatra'. Speaking to TOI, Hemant Kashyap, a member of the state wildlife board and an environmentalist said, "For about three chariots, nearly 200 trees are felled in Odisha and the rath committee plants four times the number of saplings, and the wood is sourced only after an 80-year cycle of a tree planted. In Bastar, a single chariot is built - the four-wheeled 'Phool Rath' initially which later turns into eight-wheeled called 'Vijay Rath' — requiring felling of nearly 150 mature sal trees, many over a hundred years old. The Forest Department supplies this wood to the Bastar Dussehra Committee." "We have been demanding compensatory plantations for years. It shouldn't just continue in the name of tradition by planting few samplings. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like TV providers are furious: this gadget gives you access to all channels Techno Mag Learn More Undo Sal trees take a several years to mature, he added. Jagdalpur chief conservator of forest R C Dugga told TOI that the number of trees to be felled depends on the size of logs required and usually they are less in numbers as claimed. By and large 80 huge logs are required for the chariot in Bastar Dussehra, he said. "Since the concern of annual felling of sal trees was considerable, our forest department team with local villagers and Dussehra committee jointly decided to plant saplings every year. There's a village called Nakti Semra near Jagdalpur, where the panchayat has provided an empty land and with own arrangements, we availed 250-300 saplings for plantation along with basic resources," CCF said. He added that the Bastar Dussehra committee representatives including 'manjhi, chalki' rank people who come from different villages, participate in plantation drive. We provide fencing and protection, he said, adding that to ensure proper care and maintenance, a formal initiative can be taken ahead. However, Kashyap urged for sal-specific replantation, stating that a mix of tree species is being planted instead. Moreover, while the best time for plantation is the monsoon, saplings are usually planted post-festival by tribal priests and traditional functionaries, often at the same spots where trees were felled, such as Markel, about 20 kms from Jagdalpur and Semra villages. Environmentalists emphasized that the chariot is crafted entirely through traditional methods — cut, carved, and shaped by hand without any machinery. This results in significant wood waste, which is later sold off or auctioned. Officials said that adequate funds can be allocated for structured ecological compensation for plantation.
