COIMBATORE: The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has developed a mobile application called 'Varudai' to be used for the synchronised Nilgiri Tahr survey to be held from April 24 to 27.
'Varudai' is a word used to describe the state animal, Tahr, in the Sangam literature.
Sources in the Forest Department said this is the first mobile application developed for the survey of any mammalian species in Tamil Nadu. A detailed directory of trained staff has also been prepared for the survey.
The application has been developed under Project Nilgiri Tahr and is currently in the trial stage. It will be officially launched after receiving approval from Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forests.
It may be recalled that two surveys have been conducted so far. During the 2024 survey, 1,031 Nilgiri Tahrs, including juveniles, were recorded. The number increased to 1,303 in the 2025 survey.
"This year, we can expect more number of Nilgiri Tahrs, as the staff will carry out the census in the areas allotted to them and digitally mark the GPS location along with the distance they covered. With the launch of Varudai we can obtain accurate data and there will be no need to manually record sightings and indirect signs of the animal," said K Ganesh Ram, Assistant Director of Project Nilgiri Tahr.
A forest staff member working with the project revealed that the complete mitochondrial genome of the Nilgiri Tahr has been sequenced for the first time
"The entire genome has been deposited in the database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information with the help of the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC). In addition, 11 plant sample genomes have been submitted to the NCBI database in collaboration with PSG Krishnammal College for Women, Coimbatore," he said.
Officials also said a detailed study on the health monitoring of Nilgiri Tahr is being conducted in collaboration with Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai.