Nilgiri Tahr - Endangered Species




As per my previous post of "Bengal Slow Loris", It is a name of species in India that common people even don't know.

So that that, I turn to our safari for those rarest and endangered species that people hardly known their excitant on the Earth.


Today, we talk about "Nilgiri Tahr".




Introduction Part 

  • The Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) is also known locally as the Nilgiri Ibex or simply Ibex , is an ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the States of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in Southern India.
  • It is a state animal of Tamil Nadu. Despite of its local name , it is more closely related to the sheep of the Orvis genus than the Ibex and wild goats of the Capra genus.
  • In Tamil language it is called "varaiaadu" , the term being composed of two Tamil words, wurrai a precipice and aadu, a goat.


Physical Characteristics

  • The Nilgiri Tahr is a stocky goat with short, coarse fur and a bristly mane.
  • Males are larger than females and of darker colour when mature.
  • Both sexes have curved horns, reaching upto 40 cm (16 inch) for male and 30 cm (12 inch) for female.
  • Adult males weight 80 to 100 kg and stand about 100 cm tall at the shoulder.
  • Adult males develop a light grey area on their backs and are thus called "Saddlebacks".


Habitat and Distribution

  • The Nilgiri Tahr inhabits the open montane grassland  of the south Western Ghats montane rain forests ecoregion.
  • At elevations from 1,200 to 2,500 metres, the forests open into grasslands interspersed with pockets of stunted forests, locally known as sholas.
  • These grasslands habitats are surrounded by dense forests at the lower elevations.
  • The Nilgiri Tahr formerly ranged over these grasslands in large herds, before but hunting and poaching in the 19th century reduced their population.

Reproduction

  • Outside of the breeding season, males gather in bachelor herds on the best grazing areas, building up their strength for the coming rut.
  • The rutting season begins with the onset of the monsoon rains at the end of July, and continues for two months throughout the heavy rainfall.

  • During courtship, males will wet themselves in their own urine and even decorate their horns with mud and grasses. When two or more males are competing for the attentions of the same female, fights can break out and whilst a sharp head butt may be enough to settle these, well-matched competitors can tussle for hours.
  • Females usually give birth to a single young after a gestation period of around 180 days. Nilgiri tahr feed by grazing on the grasses and shrubs of their mountain home.





Conservation

  • As few as 100 Nilgiri Tahrs were left in the wild by the early 20th century. Since that time their numbers have increased somewhat; in a comprehensive study of the Nilgiri Tahr population in Western Ghats, the WWF-India has put the population at 3,122.
  • Their range extends over 400 km from North to South, and Eravikulam National Park in home to the largest population.
  • As per the Wildlife census conducted by Kerala Forest department in association with volunteers college of  forestry and Veterinary science, number of animals in Eravikulam National Park has increased by 894 individuals.
  • The other significant concentration is in the Nilgiri Hills, with smaller populations in the Anamalai Hills, Periyar National Park, Palni Hills and other pockets in the Western Ghats south of Eravikulam, almost to India's southern tip.
  • IUCN Red List : Endangered (2008)
  • CITES Listing : Not listed (2017)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Gaur- Indian Wild Buffalo

Image
In my previous post, I mention one of the rarest and most innocent animal " The Red Panda " Now go for some Bull Fight. In our journey of Indian Safari, we reach to one of the heavy weight champion " The Gaur- Indian Bull " Introduction The Indian Bison also known as Gaur is the tallest and largest cattle species in the world, even bigger than the African wild Buffalo with occasional large bull weighting up to 1,500 kg. The Gaur belongs to the group of wild oxen that include the Asiatic Buffalo, African buffalo, true cattle and Bison. Where we can see this Gaur in India 1. Bandhipur National Park This park is located in the southern Karnataka area of Chamarajanagar district. It is a one of the important Tiger reserves in India. It has a total area of about 874 km. It is a beautiful tourist spot in Karnataka and one of the best wildlife sanctuaries in India. It was set up in 1931 and later converted in to a Nation
Read more

Large Spotted Civet

Image
Now, let's see some rare and unknown members of Western Ghats of India. Let's talk about "Malabar Large spotted Civet" Introduction The Malabar large spotted Civet, also known as the Malabar civet, is a viverrid endemic to the Western Ghats of India. It is listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN as its population size is estimated to number fewer than 250 mature individuals, with no subpopulation greater than 50 individuals. It is also known as Kannan chandu and Male meru in Kerala.  Physical Characteristics The Malabar large-spotted civet is dusky gray. It has a dark mark on the cheek, large transverse dark marks on the back and sides. Two obliquely transverse dark lines on the neck. These marks are more pronounced  than in the Large Indian Civet. Its throat and neck are white. A mane starts between the shoulders. Its tail is ringed with dark bands. The feet are dark. It differs from the large -spotted civet by t
Read more

Bera - The Ghad of Leopards

Image
A leopard is a common big cat, we can see in any wild life sanctuary or National Park. They are commonly visible in Africa and Asia. In India, It is visible in all Sanctuaries and Nation al Park, But "Bera - is the ghad of leopards" Introduction to BERA Leopard Safari Out of all wildlife hot spots in India, if there is any destination that can surely meet your thirst for the elegant and elusive cat- The Leopard, then it has to be BERA. Now it is declared as the Jawai Bandh Community Reserve. Bera is a small wilderness paradise located near Jawai Bandh in Rajasthan which shelters the mystic rocky hills ruled by this spotted feline. The rocky hills make a perfect habitat for leopards has has proved as a successful breeding ground for the species from many years and sparse forest all around makes it much easier to track this elusive hunter. Best Weather to see Wildlife During the months of October, November and February, weather is pleasant an
Read more