The Forest Department on Monday launched the first synchronised estimation of the Nilgiri Tahr, the State animal of Tamil Nadu.
The synchronised survey will also cover the Eravikulam and the Silent Valley National Parks of Kerala that are contiguous with the tahr habitats in Tamil Nadu.
The three-day exercise is carried out by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department in collaboration with Kerala Forest Department, Wildlife Institute of India, WWF-India and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
“The Nilgiri Tahr habitat of Tamil Nadu is divided into 13 forest divisions, 100 forest beats and 140 blocks for synchronised survey. More than 700 field staff will be involved in the survey from April 29 to May 1,” Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forest, posted on ‘X’.
“Grass Hills National Park and Mukurthi National Park share their boundary with Eravikulam National Park and Silent Valley National Park of Kerala respectively. The results of the synchronised survey and the approximate numbers of Nilgiri tahr in the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu will provide crucial and critical baseline data for conservation planning and management of Nilgiri Tahr population,” the post said.
M.G. Ganesan, Director of the Project Nilgiri Tahr said, the population would be estimated using bounded count and double observer methods. The exercise starts from 7 a.m. and continues until a team assigned for a particular tahr habitat area covers the entire place.
The Department is not using drones for the survey as their sound and movement might disturb the mountain ungulate.
