Tamil Nadu and Kerala to count Nilgiri tahrs in a first synchronised survey from April 29

  • April 27, 2024
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Tamil Nadu, Kerala to count Nilgiri tahrs in a first synchronised survey from April 29

Subject: Environment

Sec: Species in news

Context:

  • Tamil Nadu is set to conduct a population estimation of its State animal, the Nilgiri tahr.
  • The Forest Departments of Tamil Nadu and Kerala will collaborate on a three-day synchronised census to count the mountain ungulate.

Methodology:

  • The census will employ the bounded count and double observer methods to estimate the Nilgiri tahr population.
  • The census will cover key habitats including Eravikulam and Silent Valley National Parks in Kerala, which adjoin the tahr habitats in Tamil Nadu.

Participating Organizations:

  • WWF-India, the Wildlife Institute of India, and the Nature Conservation Foundation are involved in developing the scientific techniques used for this population enumeration.
  • This census marks a significant, organized effort to gather essential data on the Nilgiri tahr, which will be instrumental in shaping conservation strategies for this species.

About Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius):

  • It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.
  • Nilgiri tahrs inhabit montane grasslands with steep, rocky terrains at altitudes between 300 and 2,600 meters above sea level.
  • Endemic species of the Western Ghats.
  • A 2015 study by WWF-India estimated that there were slightly over 3,100 Nilgiri tahrs in highly fragmented habitats across the Western Ghats, ranging from the Nilgiris in the north to the Kanniyakumari hills in the south.
  • The animal is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and protected under Schedule-I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Protected AreasDescription
Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR)
  • Formerly known as Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park, and Anaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • Located in the Anaimalai Hills within Pollachi and Valparai taluks of Coimbatore District, and Udumalaipettai taluk in Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu, India.
  • Re-designated as Anaimalai Tiger Reserve on 27 June 2007, under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
  • Adjacent to Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary to the west. The core area of Manjampatti Valley is a 110 km2 (42 sq mi)with a drainage basin at the eastern end of the park.
Eravikulam National Park
  • Located along the Western Ghats in the Idukki and Ernakulam districts of Kerala in India.
  • First national park in Kerala.
  • It was established in 1978.
  • Administered by the Kerala Department of Forests and Wildlife, Munnar Wildlife Division, which also runs the nearby Mathikettan Shola National Park, Anamudi Shola National Park, Pambadum Shola National Park, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary and the Kurinjimala Sanctuary.
  • The terrain consists of high-altitude grasslands interspersed with sholas.
  • The largest surviving population of Nilgiri tahr is found here.
Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR)
  • Located in Erode District, Tamil Nadu, spanning the Western and Eastern Ghats.
  • Initially part of the Bramhagiri-Nilgiris-Eastern Ghats Elephant Reserve notified in 2003.
  • The largest wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu.
  • In 2013, 1,408.6 km² of the sanctuary was designated as a tiger reserve, the fourth in Tamil Nadu under Project Tiger and the third largest in the state.
  • Acts as a crucial ecosystem and wildlife corridor in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, linking Western and Eastern Ghats.
  • Provides a genetic link between five other protected areas: Billigiriranga Swamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary, Sigur Plateau, Mudumalai National Park, Bandipur National Park, and the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • Encompasses parts of Sathyamangalam and Gobichettipalayam taluks in northwestern Tamil Nadu.
  • The tiger population increased from 25 in 2011 to 80 in 2018.
  • Received the TX2 award in 2022 from the World Wide Fund and other wildlife conservation agencies for significant growth in tiger population.
Silent Valley National Parks
  • Located in Kerala, India, within the Nilgiri Hills.
  • Explored in 1847 by botanist Robert Wight, it features rare species of flora and fauna.
  • Geographically, it borders Mannarkkad Taluk of Palakkad district, Nilambur Taluk of Malappuram district, Kerala, and Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.
  • The park is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which hosts several adjacent protected areas like Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary, New Amarambalam Reserved Forest, and Mukurthi National Park.
  • Notable geographic features include Mukurthi Peak, the fifth-highest in South India, and Anginda Peak.
  • Rivers like Bhavani, Kunthipuzha, and Kadalundi originate in the park.
  • Silent Valley represents one of the last undisturbed tracts of South Western Ghats mountain rain forests and tropical moist evergreen forests in India.
  • It is contiguous with Karimpuzha and Mukurthi National Parks and forms the core of the extensive Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, recognized as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • The park was officially established in 1980 following the successful Save Silent Valley movement, which halted a proposed hydroelectric project threatening the area’s biodiversity.

Source: TH

Environment Tamil Nadu and Kerala to count Nilgiri tahrs in a first synchronised survey from April 29