The Nilgiri tahr, found in the montane shola-grassland ecosystems are rightly attributed to being the ‘mountain guardians’. These animals help mankind in enhancing the water catchment areas and in maintaining the unique shola-grassland ecosystem,” shares conservationist MA Predit of World Wide Fund (WWF) India, talking about the elusive Nilgiri tahr.
As part of its initiatives to protect the endangered species, WWF has flagged a year-long campaign to raise awareness among children, youth and the general public about the mountain ungulate. “Protecting the tahr not only implies the protection of this endemic species but also helps in protecting the shola-grassland ecosystems, which are imperative to ensure the long-term water security of the region,” he notes. The conservationist discusses the significance of the State Animal of Tamil Nadu, anthropogenic threats it faces and the future. Excerpts follow:
Over your decade-long experience with WWF, what have your observations of the ungulate species been?
The Nilgiri tahr is the only species of the sub-family Caprinae that is seen distributed in the south of India. Biologist George Schaller rightly describes it as the mountain monarch. It is a social animal that lives in herds with adult females and their young ones. Most adult males live either as bachelor herds or in solitary and are observed with herds during the rutting season. The Nilgiri tahr is recorded to live for more than 20 years under captive conditions. However, in wild conditions, it is recorded to live for nine years (although the average life span is recorded only around three years because of higher mortality rates in the young ones).
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What groups will the campaign focus on?
The year-long campaign aims at creating awareness among different target groups including the youth (school students and college students), the public (local communities around the tahr areas and general public), and the forest department in the government.
How do you plan to take the learning about the species to these groups?
Awareness among school students will be done through the education department in around 8,000 schools across the state. This will be enabled through eco-clubs by the district eco-coordinators. College students will be made aware through identified volunteers in the state and by involving Nilgiri tahr alliance groups across the five districts adjoining the Western Ghats. These volunteers and alliance group members will be presenting talks/lectures to the college students after initial training by the WWF team. There will be advocacy to the forest department in carrying out a synchronised Nilgiri tahr survey at least once in two years and to promote ecotourism in potential areas involving local communities.
An earlier report pointed to how by the end of the 20th century a few Nilgiri tahrs were left in the wild, enabling an increase in its population. What is the current state?
Since this species is distributed on the mountain ecosystem in complex terrain, mapping all the population across its distribution is a Herculean task. However, WWF attempted to do that and recorded 17 new populations across its distribution up until 2015. Now, we know the actual distribution status of this species. It was estimated at 3,122 individuals in the wild in our 2015 publication. By the end of this year, we will have a population update for 2021, which we presume will show a marginal increase with a population between 3,500-3,800 individuals in the wild.
What is the current range of the animal?
The Nilgiri tahr used to be present along the entire stretch of Western Ghats but currently dwells within Kerala and Tamil Nadu, mostly in small scattered pockets except in places like Mukurthi, Grass hills and Eravikulam. At present, it is restricted to a narrow stretch within 400 km between Nilgiri hills in the north and Asambu hills in the south. The current distribution of Nilgiri tahr is primarily limited to the presence of grasslands with rocky outcrops that are used as escape terrain from predation and anthropogenic pressures. What are the anthropogenic threats they now face? Poaching/illegal killing for meat (mostly in the past), habitat loss (monoculture plantation like wattle, eucalyptus, pine, tea, coffee...linear infrastructure developments in the habitat), cattle grazing, minor forest produce collection, pilgrimage tourism to mountain temples and habitat fragmentation and isolated populations, are among a few.
What strategies are being chalked to protect the species?
Strong protection strategies and law enforcement are taking care of the poaching pressure (which have already decreased). Habitat restoration by removal of monoculture plantation and restoring with native grasslands will help in range expansion of the Nilgiri tahr. Stopping cattle grazing, minor forest produces collection, and pilgrim tourism will curtail the community rights hence, regulation of these will help in achieving a win-win situation.
Has ecotourism increased these threats?
Heavy tourism in places like Ooty, Munnar and Valparai can be seen as a threat. However, sensible ecotourism can benefit conservation. People get to know the species, its habit and habitat and conservation significance. Capturing things as a memory within a comfort zone — for both human and the animal — and leave nothing but footprints in the habitat would be the formula to do sensible ecotourism.
Has its status as the state animal been beneficial to the ungulate?
Being the state animal of Tamil Nadu, the general awareness about the species among the forest department staff of Tamil Nadu is comparatively higher. Every management plan has documented even the smallest of populations, with the division and conservation plans drawn at the divisional level. Awareness among the communities and the general public is, however, low and needs to be addressed.
How can local communities help in raising awareness about the animal?
Local communities can become the guardians of this species. They can help spread the message about how they receive pure air, good and clean water throughout the year. They can be engaged in creating sensible ecotourism around the tahr habitat by creating livelihood options for local communities.
What historic significance do the tahrs hold?
The Nilgiri tahr is described in ancient classic (Sangam) Tamil literature including the Silapathikaram, Seevaga Sinthamani, Nattrinai, Ainguru Nooru, Pathiruppaththu, Paripaadal and Pattinappaalai — all written over 2,000 years ago. Anthropological studies reveal the rock art based on Nilgiri tahrs were done with red ochre using the flat wash technique from the Marayoor areas in Kerala during the Mesolithic (10000-4000 BP) period.
How are the lives of the Nilgiri tahrs and that of the Todas interlinked?
William Allister Noble, in his research paper in 1968, describes the cultural contradictions of the five indigenous peoples of the Nilgiris district. He mentions that the Toda people historically have changed the habit of hunting and eating. The Toda community mainly depended on buffalo rearing for their livelihood and they managed and maintained the high altitude grassland ecosystem, which eventually benefited in tahr conservation, consequently interlinking them.
How can the conservation of the tahrs help in securing the shola grassland ecosystem?
The Nilgiri tahr is a generalist by food habit. They feed on around 120 species of plants including grasses, herbs, shrubs, leguminous plants and few tree species. This has facilitated the mountain ecosystem to be fertile through the recycling process. Protection of mountain grasslands is highly important to sustain the life and flow of rivers. Though other ungulates like the sambar and gaur also perambulate high altitudes, the Nilgiri tahr is the only animal that can reach the cliffs, turning mountains into fertile grassland habitat, enabling rivers to supply minerals and nutrients rich water.
What is the vision for their future?
The Kerala forest department has done statewide Nilgiri tahr population surveys in 2020 and documented the existing populations. WWF is now doing a population status update for 2021 across the whole of Tamil Nadu. All the populations are mapped, and the habitats are secured. Reintroduction of the Nilgiri tahr in a few of its historical ranges is being planned with the Tamil Nadu forest department. We don’t know much about the Nilgiri tahr's home range; different types of habitat that it uses to move across the nearest potential location. Also, there is a need to understand the barriers in their movement. These can be understood by radio-telemetry studies.
Understanding the barriers and removing them by habitat restoration or other means will help in the facilitation of the Nilgiri tahr range expansion. The Tamil Nadu government's current vision to increase the state forest cover to 33% will have an impact on the Nilgiri tahr range expansion and hopefully, will establish connectivity between fragmented populations.
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Know the Nilgiri Tahr
The Nilgiri tahr is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972, and listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The females give birth to a single young one in a year and nurture them for up to six months.
Males grow up to 100 cm at shoulder level and females up to 80 cm.
Males can weigh up to 100 kg, whereas females weigh half as much — around 50 kg.
At present, the tahrs are restricted to a narrow stretch of 400 km between the Nilgiri hills in the north and Asambu hills in the south.
We will be identifying areas with anthropogenic pressures and sensitising the local communities through presentations, videos and putting up information boards around the community places. Awareness will also be created through different media mediums. — MA Predit