Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius)
Status: Endangered (IUCN Red List)
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
State Animal: Tamil Nadu
- The Nilgiri Tahr, also called the Nilgiri Ibex, is a mountain goat species endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and southern Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Adult males develop a distinct pale grey patch or “saddle” on their backs, earning them the nickname “Saddlebacks.”
- These animals are sturdy climbers and are adapted to live in the open montane grasslands of tropical rain forest ecoregions.
Habitat & Distribution
- Habitat: High-altitude montane grasslands interspersed with rocky cliffs
- Range:
- Tamil Nadu – Nilgiri Hills
- Kerala – Southern Western Ghats
- Elevation: Typically found at altitudes above 1,200 meters
Threats
- Habitat loss due to encroachment by livestock and invasive plant species
- Poaching and hunting pressure
- Fragmented populations – isolated groups are vulnerable to extinction
- Climate change, which affects grassland ecosystems critical to their surviv
