https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

A 5-Year Project to Conserve Tamil Nadu’s Endangered State Animal

Tamil Nadu government has come up with Project Nilgiri Tahr with a budgetary provision of Rs 25.14 crore The aim of the project is to extend the distribution of the state animal to its historic habitats Additional Chief Secretary, Forest, Supriya Sahu, IAS, says that it is important to check the further dwindling of this animal’s population and geographical range
Indian Masterminds Stories

To extend the distribution of Nilgiri Tahr to its historic habitats, the Tamil Nadu government recently came up with an initiative named ‘Project Nilgiri Tahr’, with a budgetary provision of Rs. 25.14 crore. The five-year programme is India’s first-of-its-kind initiative.

Speaking with Indian Masterminds, IAS officer Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forest, shared details about the project.

NILGIRI TAHR

Nilgiri Tahr is the state animal of Tamil Nadu. Locally known as ‘Varaiaadu’, the Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus Hylocrius) is endemic to Western Ghats. It is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972.

It is estimated that there are 3,122 Nilgiri Tahrs in the wild, and the population is divided into five metapopulation blocks based on habitat connectivity. Historically, Nilgiri Tahr was known to inhabit a large portion of the Western Ghats, but, today, it remains restricted to a few scattered habitat patches in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Picture Courtesy: Supriya Sahu IAS Twitter

“Presently, it is confined to a small percentage of the Western Ghats, between the Nilgiri hills in the north and the Asambu highlands in the south. Hence, it is very important that this species is protected from further dwindling of its population and geographical range. The ecological integrity of the shola-grassland ecosystem, which occurs between 1400 and 2700 metres in elevation, is very important for this species to survive,” Ms. Sahu said.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Hence, Tamil Nadu government has announced a project for the conservation of this species and its habitat at a cost of Rs. 25.14 crore, with various components for monitoring the population and restoring the habitat, like bi-annual synchronized surveys across the divisions, re-introduction and monitoring, diagnosis and treatment for affected individuals, capacity building programmes for staff, shola grassland restoration, eco-tourism, and awareness creation programmes.

The major aim of this project is to extend the distribution of Nilgiri Tahr to its historic habitats. Proper scientific estimation of the present population and its distribution, and taking care of the health of the population to maintain the genetic resource, are the immediate priorities to reach that goal.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

Talking about the challenges, Ms. Sahu said that the fragmented populations are prone to local extinction, which is a challenge to deal with. Many populations are composed of less than 20 individuals and are highly prone to local extinction due to poaching and diseases.

These populations cannot recuperate from these threats as they are not connected to bigger populations. Exotic invasive species like wattle, eucalyptus, pine, etc., are also threats to the habitat of Nilgiri Tahr.

“Lack of ecological data and understanding of conservation planning, forest fires, anthropogenic pressures like encroachment, adventure tourism, NWFP collection are also challenges in the conservation of Nilgiri Tahr,” Ms. Sahu said.

Picture Courtesy: Supriya Sahu IAS Twitter

It was also decided that October 7 will be celebrated as ‘Niligiri Tahr Day’ in honour of E.R.C. Davidar, who was responsible for pioneering one of the first studies of the species in 1975.

The funds for Project Niligiri Tahr are to be provided by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. It will be headed by a Project Director, who will be assisted by an Assistant Director, and will also include senior scientists, research fellows and field staff.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
MP CM Collector Award Niti Aayog
Sampurnata Abhiyan: Madhya Pradesh Leads NITI Aayog Campaign; Collectors from 8 Districts Win Gold
Mohan Yadav
MP CM Mohan Yadav Pushes for Sustainable, Community-Driven Rural Water Policy; Targets 100% Tap Coverage by March 2027
Ajay Bhadoo IAS
IAS Ajay Bhadoo Gets Extended Term as DGFT - What It Means & His Career Journey
THDCIL_Receives_ABMS_Certification_for_Integrity_and_Transparency
THDC India (THDCIL) Awarded ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Certification by BIS - Details Inside
Ministry of Environment
Environment Ministry Clarifies Petrol Vehicle Tender, Cites E-Vehicle Flexibility
Bokaro Steel Plant
PESB Selects Priya Ranjan to Head Bokaro Steel Plant, SAIL’s Key Production Unit
REC Limited wins ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC (DNA) Awards
REC Limited Bags ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC Awards
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
MP CM Collector Award Niti Aayog
Sampurnata Abhiyan: Madhya Pradesh Leads NITI Aayog Campaign; Collectors from 8 Districts Win Gold
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT