The Rs 25 crore project will include measures for estimating the number of Nilgiri Tahrs, restoring their fragmented habitats, and re-introducing the species in some of the places that they previously inhabited.
The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday, December 28 issued orders to conserve the state animal Nilgiri tahr through a project that is touted as the first in the country. The Rs 25.14 crore project would be implemented during a five-year period from 2022-2027, and will include measures for estimating the number of Nilgiri Tahrs, restoring their fragmented habitats, and re-introducing the species in some of the places that they previously inhabited.
Locally known as Varaiaadu, the tahr has been an endangered species and protected under schedule I of the Wildlife (protection) Act of India, 1972. The animal is endemic to the Western Ghats, which are internationally recognised as a region of immense global importance due to its bio-diversity.
The Nilgiri tahr is recognised as the state animal of Tamil Nadu. There are several references to the animal in the 2,000-year-old Tamil Sangam literature. Two of the five great epics of the Sangam period, Silappathikaram and Sivaka Chintamani, include descriptions of the tahr and its habitat. In one of the ancient Tamil literary works titled Thirukutrala Kuravanji, the Nilgiri Tahr was mentioned as an animal that reflected the ecological diversity of the region.
According to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), the Nilgiri tahr is “the only mountain ungulate in southern India amongst the 12 species present in India.” The animal has now been classified under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, causing concern among activists.
As per a Worldwide Fund for Nature Report 2015, there are 3,122 tahrs in the wild. The species once inhabited a large portion of Western Ghats, but it is now restricted to a few pockets. This was because of habitat loss, biotic pressure, invasive and exotic species and adverse impact of climate change. The project — the Nilgiri tahr — aims to restore its original habitat and try to re-introduce the species in areas where they originally lived, an official release from the Tamil Nadu government said.
The project would have also a major component to restore the fragmented habitat. Restoration of shola grasslands which is the major habitat for the animal would be taken up as a priority, the order said. The number of Nilgiri tahrs will be calculated using synchronised surveys through radio telemetry and radio collaring, the government said. The projects intends to ensure the protection and conservation of the animal.
As a part of this initiative, every October 7 would be observed as the Nilgiri tahr Day coinciding with the birth anniversary of ERC Davidar who pioneered the first study on the animal in 1975, to spread awareness on the need for conserving the animal, the government’s order said. It is also proposed to re-introduce development of tahr-based eco tourism, it said.
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin took to Twitter to announce the launch of the project. “Extremely happy and proud to inform that the State animal of Tamil Nadu “Nilgiri Tahr” gets an exclusive project dedicated for its conservation. Government has issued orders today to set up India’s first “The Nilgiri Tahr” project… We will ensure that the state animal of Tamil Nadu is well protected and all efforts are taken for its conservation,” CM Stalin tweeted.
Extremely happy and proud to inform that the State animal of Tamil Nadu “Nilgiri Tahr” gets an exclusive project dedicated for its conservation. Government has issued orders today to set up India’s first “The Nilgiri Tahr” project.
1/2 pic.twitter.com/Qv9NADWuvS
— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) December 28, 2022
With PTI inputs
Source: The News Minute