Nilgiri Tahr survey concludes in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: Even as the State Forest Department has completed the four-day synchronised survey of Nilgiri Tahr in the western ghats landscape, the survey teams have witnessed the continuous presence of the animals in newly colonised areas.

A department release said that in the new colonised area of Pasumalai block in Chinnamanur range of Megamalai division, Nilgiri Tahr was again sighted which indicates a healthy habitat recovery.

“Periyattumalai area in Coimbatore division, where a Nilgiri Tahr was sighted after a decade last year again, revealed tahrs in that habitat. Even in the lowest elevation survey block (240m MSL) in Peyanar Varaiyattu Mottai, field staff sighted 7 animals. This is one of the finest cliffs and escapement terrain blocks where the Tahr is using the dry thorny landscape,” the release added.

The second survey, flagged off by the department secretary Supriya Sahu on April 24, was conducted in 176 survey blocks of 14 forest divisions. About 800 field staff were deployed covering around 2,000 km. Survey was conducted in three blocks in Kerala.

“The field staff collected Nilgiri Tahr pellets for parasitic analysis and carnivores’ scat for understanding the parasitic species presence and its life cycle in association with Nilgiri Tahr,” the release said.