The TAMIL NADU FOREST DEPARTMENT, in coordination with KERALA, is conducting the THIRD SYNCHRONIZED NILGIRI TAHR (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) SURVEY across the Western Ghats — using the VARUDAI MOBILE APP for standardised reporting and real-time tracking; the Nilgiri Tahr is the ONLY MOUNTAIN UNGULATE in southern India among 12 species found in the country, the STATE ANIMAL OF TAMIL NADU, and an ENDEMIC SPECIES to the Western Ghats; it inhabits open montane grassland habitats at elevations of 1200-2600 metres along a narrow 400 km stretch from the NILGIRIS in the north to the KANYAKUMARI HILLS in the south; the largest population is in ERAVIKULAM NATIONAL PARK (Kerala), with other significant populations in the Nilgiris and Anamalai hills; IUCN Red List status: ENDANGERED.

The TAMIL NADU FOREST DEPARTMENT, in coordination with KERALA, is conducting the THIRD SYNCHRONIZED NILGIRI TAHR SURVEY across the Western Ghats. The survey uses scientific methods including the VARUDAI MOBILE APP for STANDARDISED REPORTING and REAL-TIME TRACKING. The Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) is the ONLY MOUNTAIN UNGULATE in southern India among the 12 mountain ungulate species found in the country. It serves as a VITAL INDICATOR of the health of the Western Ghats' high-altitude ecosystems. HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION: (1) ALTITUDE — they inhabit open montane grassland habitats at elevations ranging from 1200 to 2600 metres; (2) GEOGRAPHIC RANGE — distribution restricted to a narrow 400 km stretch of the Western Ghats, from the Nilgiris in the north to the Kanyakumari hills in the south; (3) KEY STRONGHOLDS — the largest population is found in ERAVIKULAM NATIONAL PARK (KERALA), with other significant populations in the Nilgiris and Anamalai hills; (4) FRAGMENTED POCKETS — while they historically spanned the entire Western Ghats, they are now found only in small, fragmented pockets due to habitat loss. CONSERVATION STATUS: (1) IUCN RED LIST: ENDANGERED; (2) CITES: Appendix I listing; (3) Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 — Schedule I (highest protection). KEY CHARACTERISTICS: (1) SURE-FOOTEDNESS — exceptionally agile and sure-footed ungulates, adapted to navigating steep, rocky terrain; (2) ADVANCED MONITORING — modern surveys utilise scientific methods like the Varudai mobile app for standardised reporting and real-time tracking; (3) REPRODUCTION — winter calving season, followed by surveys to ensure young tahr are visible and counted; (4) SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR — they live in herds; behavioural studies are currently used to evaluate the potential for translocation to improve genetic diversity; (5) HEALTH INDICATORS — research is conducted on the prevalence of tumours in specific herds to assess overall species health. IDENTITY AND VALUE: (1) STATE IDENTITY — Nilgiri Tahr is the STATE ANIMAL of TAMIL NADU; (2) ENDEMIC VALUE — as an endemic species to the Western Ghats, its survival is critical to maintaining the biodiversity of this UNESCO World Heritage Site; (3) UMBRELLA SPECIES — protecting Nilgiri Tahr habitat protects the wider montane grassland ecosystem and dependent species. CONTEXT — TAMIL NADU NILGIRI TAHR PROJECT: Tamil Nadu launched the dedicated Project Nilgiri Tahr in 2023 — India's first state-level conservation project for the species; aims for synchronized population estimation, habitat restoration, and translocation studies. KERALA'S ERAVIKULAM NP: Established 1978; key stronghold for Nilgiri Tahr; located in Idukki district of Kerala in the Anamalai-High Range region; hosts shola-grassland ecosystems and the rare Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) flower that blooms once every 12 years. WIDER WESTERN GHATS CONTEXT: (1) one of the world's eight 'hottest hotspots' of biological diversity (Norman Myers' classification); (2) UNESCO World Heritage Site (2012) — 39 component sites in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa; (3) older than the Himalayas; (4) home to many endemic species including Lion-tailed Macaque, Malabar Civet, Nilgiri Marten, Nilgiri Langur, and Nilgiri Tahr. UPSC RELEVANCE: GS-III (environment, biodiversity conservation, ecology, species in news, IUCN status, Wildlife Protection Act, UNESCO sites).

Survey

Third synchronized Nilgiri Tahr survey by Tamil Nadu Forest Dept + Kerala

Species

Nilgiri Tahr — Nilgiritragus hylocrius

Significance

Only mountain ungulate in southern India among 12 species in country

State animal

Tamil Nadu

Endemic to

Western Ghats

Altitude habitat

1200-2600 metres (open montane grassland)

Geographic range

Narrow 400 km stretch from Nilgiris (north) to Kanyakumari hills (south)

Largest population

Eravikulam National Park (Kerala)

Other strongholds

Nilgiris + Anamalai hills

Survey tool

Varudai mobile app — standardised reporting + real-time tracking

IUCN Red List status

Endangered

Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972

Schedule I (highest protection)

CITES status

Appendix I

Reproduction

Winter calving season

Project Nilgiri Tahr

Launched 2023 by Tamil Nadu — India's first state-level conservation project for the species

• •Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius): Mountain ungulate endemic to the Western Ghats; only mountain ungulate species in southern India; State Animal of Tamil Nadu; inhabits open montane grasslands at 1200-2600 m altitude; restricted to ~400 km stretch of Western Ghats; IUCN Endangered, CITES Appendix I, Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 Schedule I
• •Eravikulam National Park: Located in Idukki district of Kerala in the Anamalai-High Range region of the Western Ghats; established 1978; ~97 sq km; largest population stronghold for Nilgiri Tahr; ANAMUDI peak (2,695 m — highest peak in southern India / south of the Himalayas) within park; shola-grassland ecosystem; Neelakurinji bloom every 12 years
• •Anamudi peak: Highest peak in southern India (south of the Himalayas); elevation 2,695 metres; located in Eravikulam National Park, Idukki district, Kerala; part of the Western Ghats; name means 'elephant forehead' in Malayalam
• •Western Ghats: Mountain range running along India's western coast for ~1,600 km from Tapti river (Maharashtra-Gujarat border) to Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu); covers ~140,000 sq km; older than the Himalayas; one of world's 8 'hottest hotspots' of biological diversity; UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012 with 39 component sites in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa
• •Project Nilgiri Tahr (2023): Launched 2023 by Tamil Nadu government — India's first state-level conservation project for the Nilgiri Tahr; aims for synchronised population estimation, habitat restoration, translocation studies for genetic diversity, and disease monitoring
• •Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: India's primary wildlife protection legislation; provides 6 schedules (Schedule I + II = special protection species, no hunting; Schedule III + IV = protected species; Schedule V = vermin; Schedule VI = prohibited plants); amended multiple times most recently 2022 to align schedules with CITES; under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
• •IUCN Red List categories: Extinct (EX) → Extinct in the Wild (EW) → Critically Endangered (CR) → Endangered (EN) → Vulnerable (VU) → Near Threatened (NT) → Least Concern (LC); Nilgiri Tahr is ENDANGERED
• •CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora): International treaty entered into force 1975; HQ Geneva; uses three-tier appendix system — Appendix I (most-threatened, trade prohibited except exceptional non-commercial), Appendix II (regulated to ensure sustainability), Appendix III (national-level concern); Nilgiri Tahr is Appendix I
• •Norman Myers Biodiversity Hotspots: Concept proposed by ecologist Norman Myers in 1988 (refined 2000); 36 hotspots globally as of latest count; criteria — at least 1,500 endemic vascular plant species + at least 70% of original habitat lost; India hosts 4 hotspots — Western Ghats, Himalayas, Indo-Burma, Sundaland (Nicobar Islands)
• •Madhav Gadgil Committee (2011): Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel chaired by Madhav Gadgil; submitted 2011; recommended classifying entire Western Ghats as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) with three zones (ESZ1, ESZ2, ESZ3); recommendations seen as too stringent; led to follow-up Kasturirangan Committee
• •Kasturirangan Committee (2013): High-Level Working Group on Western Ghats chaired by K. Kasturirangan; submitted 2013; modified Gadgil recommendations; suggested ESA covering ~37% of Western Ghats; basis for current draft notifications
• •Mountain ungulates of India (12 species): Nilgiri Tahr (only southern India species); Himalayan Tahr; Markhor (Pakistan-J&K); Bharal (Blue Sheep); Goral; Serow; Argali; Asiatic Ibex; Wild Yak; Nilgai (technically antelope); Chiru (Tibetan Antelope); Hangul / Kashmir Stag (technically deer)
• •Western Ghats endemic species (selected): Mammals: Lion-tailed Macaque, Malabar Civet, Nilgiri Marten, Nilgiri Langur, Nilgiri Tahr; Birds: Malabar Whistling Thrush, Wynaad Laughingthrush, Black-and-orange Flycatcher; Amphibians: Purple Frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis); Plants: Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana — 12-year bloom)
• •Neelakurinji: Strobilanthes kunthiana — flowering plant endemic to Western Ghats shola grasslands; blooms only ONCE EVERY 12 YEARS in mass-flowering events; turns hillsides purple-blue; key bloom site Eravikulam National Park; last major bloom 2018, next expected 2030

1. 1972
   Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 enacted in India.
2. 1975
   CITES enters into force globally.
3. 1978
   Eravikulam National Park established in Kerala — key Nilgiri Tahr stronghold.
4. 1988
   Norman Myers proposes biodiversity hotspots concept (refined 2000).
5. 2011
   Madhav Gadgil Committee report on Western Ghats ecology submitted.
6. 2012
   Western Ghats inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site (39 component sites).
7. 2013
   Kasturirangan Committee on Western Ghats submitted report.
8. 2018
   Major Neelakurinji bloom in Eravikulam National Park (next expected 2030).
9. 2022
   Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2022 — schedules realigned with CITES.
10. 2023
    Tamil Nadu launches Project Nilgiri Tahr — India's first state-level species-specific conservation project for the Nilgiri Tahr.
11. 2026
    Tamil Nadu Forest Department + Kerala conduct THIRD SYNCHRONIZED Nilgiri Tahr survey using Varudai mobile app for standardised reporting and real-time tracking.

• Trap · Nilgiri Tahr scientific name

  Correct: Nilgiritragus hylocrius. Note this is in genus Nilgiritragus — DIFFERENT from Hemitragus (which contains the Himalayan Tahr / Hemitragus jemlahicus). The Nilgiri Tahr was reclassified into its own genus Nilgiritragus in 2005. Don't confuse the two genera.

• Trap · Nilgiri Tahr State Animal

  Correct: STATE ANIMAL OF TAMIL NADU. NOT Kerala (Kerala state animal is Indian Elephant), NOT Karnataka (state animal is Indian Elephant), NOT Andhra Pradesh (state animal is Blackbuck).

• Trap · Largest Nilgiri Tahr population location

  Correct: ERAVIKULAM NATIONAL PARK in IDUKKI district of KERALA. NOT Periyar NP, NOT Bandipur, NOT Mudumalai. Eravikulam NP established 1978; ~97 sq km; located in Anamalai-High Range region.

• Trap · Anamudi peak height and location

  Correct: ANAMUDI = 2,695 metres = HIGHEST PEAK SOUTH OF THE HIMALAYAS. Located in Eravikulam NP in Idukki, Kerala. Name means 'elephant forehead' in Malayalam. NOT the highest peak in the Nilgiris (that's Doddabetta ~2,637 m in Tamil Nadu).

• Trap · Number of mountain ungulates in India

  Correct: 12 species. Nilgiri Tahr is the ONLY one in SOUTHERN India. Other 11 are Himalayan: Himalayan Tahr, Markhor, Bharal (Blue Sheep), Goral, Serow, Argali, Asiatic Ibex, Wild Yak, Chiru (Tibetan Antelope), Hangul (Kashmir Stag), Nilgai (technically antelope).

• Trap · Geographic range of Nilgiri Tahr

  Correct: 400 KM STRETCH from NILGIRIS (north) to KANYAKUMARI HILLS (south) in the Western Ghats. NOT 1,000 km, NOT entire Western Ghats (it's restricted to the southern part). Currently in fragmented pockets within this range.

• Trap · Altitude habitat of Nilgiri Tahr

  Correct: 1200-2600 metres OPEN MONTANE GRASSLAND habitat. Don't confuse with forest dwellers or alpine/snow species. The shola-grassland mosaic at high altitude is the key habitat type.

• Trap · Survey tool name

  Correct: VARUDAI MOBILE APP (used for standardised reporting and real-time tracking). 'Varudai' is the Tamil word for tahr/wild goat — culturally significant naming.

• Trap · Survey edition (3rd synchronized)

  Correct: THIRD synchronized survey conducted by Tamil Nadu Forest Department in coordination with Kerala. NOT the first or second — the synchronisation has been recurring.

• Trap · IUCN status of Nilgiri Tahr

  Correct: ENDANGERED. NOT Critically Endangered (that's Malabar Civet for example), NOT Vulnerable (that's Nilgiri Langur), NOT Near Threatened. Don't confuse with other Western Ghats species' statuses.

• Trap · CITES vs Wildlife Protection Act schedules

  Correct: CITES = international treaty with Appendix I, II, III. WPA 1972 = Indian domestic law with Schedule I, II, III, IV, V, VI. Different frameworks. Nilgiri Tahr is in CITES Appendix I AND WPA Schedule I — both are highest protection in their respective frameworks.

• Trap · Wildlife (Protection) Act 2022 amendment

  Correct: Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2022 realigned schedules. NOT a separate new Act. Reduced number of schedules and aligned with CITES appendices. Original WPA 1972 still the foundational legislation.

• Trap · Western Ghats UNESCO inscription year and component count

  Correct: Inscribed 2012. 39 component sites. Across TAMIL NADU + KERALA + KARNATAKA + MAHARASHTRA + GOA. NOT all 6 western states (Gujarat is not included). NOT 25 or 50 components.

• Trap · Norman Myers biodiversity hotspots count

  Correct: Originally 25 hotspots (1988); refined and expanded over time; latest count is 36 hotspots globally. Western Ghats is one of 8 'HOTTEST' hotspots (highest priority subset). India hosts 4 hotspots: Western Ghats, Himalayas, Indo-Burma, Sundaland (Nicobar Islands).

• Trap · Gadgil vs Kasturirangan committees

  Correct: Madhav Gadgil Committee (Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel) submitted 2011 — recommended ESA covering ENTIRE Western Ghats with three zones. Kasturirangan Committee (High-Level Working Group) submitted 2013 — modified to ESA covering ~37% of Western Ghats. Two different committees, different recommendations. Kasturirangan is basis for current ESA notification drafts.

• Trap · Project Nilgiri Tahr launch year and scope

  Correct: Launched 2023 by TAMIL NADU government (state-level). India's FIRST state-level species-specific conservation project. NOT a central government project. Aims for synchronised population estimation, habitat restoration, translocation, disease monitoring.

• Trap · Eravikulam NP establishment

  Correct: 1978. NOT 1978 was conversion year; first declared as Eravikulam Sanctuary 1975, upgraded to National Park 1978. Located in IDUKKI district of Kerala. ~97 sq km. Largest Nilgiri Tahr population.

• Trap · Neelakurinji bloom cycle

  Correct: Strobilanthes kunthiana flowers ONCE EVERY 12 YEARS. Last major bloom 2018; next expected 2030. Endemic to Western Ghats shola grasslands. Major bloom site is Eravikulam NP, Idukki, Kerala.

• Trap · Number of biodiversity hotspots in India

  Correct: FOUR hotspots in India: (1) Western Ghats (2) Himalayas (3) Indo-Burma (4) Sundaland (Nicobar Islands part). Don't confuse with broader categories. The Western Ghats is among the 8 HOTTEST subset within global 36 hotspots.