COIMBATORE: The Tamil Nadu forest department is likely to postpone the third Nilgiri Tahr census due to the Assembly elections scheduled to be held on April 23. If all goes as planned, the four-day census will be conducted between April 28 and May 1 across the state.
Ahead of the census, a training programme will be conducted for staff who will take part in the exercise. They will be trained on how to use the ‘Varudai’ app, which has been launched exclusively for this census. ‘Varudai’ is a term used in Sangam literature to describe the Nilgiri Tahr.
“We will finalise the number of participants in the coming days, as we have sent letters to each division to nominate staff for the census. A total of 177 blocks have been earmarked, including Ambasamudram, where direct sightings of the state animal have been recorded,” said an official from the Nilgiri Tahr project.
The census will be conducted using the count-bound method and the double observer method. Under the count-bound method, participants will directly count the animals, and a second team will revisit the same area to verify the count. It may be recalled that two surveys have already been conducted. During the 2024 survey, 1,031 Nilgiri Tahrs, including juveniles, were recorded. The number increased to 1,303 in the 2025 survey.