Nilgiri tahr count

Survey under way at Eravikulam

Kochi The Hindu. 20/12/03-For Kerala Page. Nilgiri tahr (mountain goat; varayaadu) striking a pose in the Eravikulam National Park at Rajamala near Munnar in Kerala. It is the breeding season for the tahrs in the park which is home to some 750 of this endangered species.Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragu hylocrius), also called Nilgiri ibex, live in open terrain,cliffsandgrass-covered hills of the Western Ghats of South India in an altitude of 1200 to 2600 metres. Eravikulam has the largest population of Nilgiri tahrs. They are also found in Nilgiri Hills, Silent Valley, Siruvani Hills and the high grasslands of Anamala. Digital Picture By K_K_Mustafah.

 An elaborate survey of the Nilgiri tahr began at the Eravikulam National Park on Monday.

Modern gadgets are being used to get an accurate data of the tahr both in the park and buffer zone areas. An official of the Forest Department said the survey would conclude on Sunday.

The area had been divided into various blocks, and the survey was being conducted under the guidance of experts from the Department of Forests and Wildlife. Various parameters were being used in the survey to get an exact figure. 

The first survey of tahrs was held in the park in 1996 and the total number recorded was 640. In 2001, it declined to 569. In the survey last year, the total number of tahrs recorded was 894. — A Correspondent