A call to save an endangered species. According to a recent study published in the international journal: Ecological Engineering, climate change is threatening the Nilgiri Tahr.
- It is estimated that the endangered wild goat could lose approximately 60% of its habitat, starting from 2030s.
- There are only around 2,500 Nilgiri Tahrs left in the wild and their population is small and isolated.
- It makes them vulnerable to local extinction.
- The study emphasises need for ecological restoration of Nilgiri tahrs.
- It also highlights demand for comprehensive species management plan.
About the Nilgiri tahr:
- It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.
- It is endemic to the Western Ghats from the Nilgiris to Kanyakumari.
- It is confined to a narrow belt of higher elevation (altitudes) of Shola Forests in the Western Ghats.
- IUCN in its red data book has classified it as Endangered (number fewer than 2,500 mature individuals).
- Besides, it is a protected species under Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
