What is New 

27th July 2010

Keen interest shown by wildlife enthusiasts in Nilgiri tahr conservation

It is heartening to see people taking a keen interest in endangered Nilgiri tahr. Vinay Nag, a wildlife enthusiast from Mysore, Karnataka, has reported sightings of two herds of Nilgiri tahr (14 and 9 respectively), from the Upper Palni region between Kukkal Village and Manjampatti Valley on 22^nd July, around 1 pm to 1.30 pm. Vinay here is a big thank you for your interest and sharing your observations with us. 

17th June 2010

Earthwatch Institute research position on the Arabian tahr

Earthwatch Institute is an international non-profit organisation which seeks to engage people worldwide in scientific field research.  They have a Programme with the Sultanate of Oman comprising four research projects, and are currently looking for a scientist to lead the Arabian tahr research, conservation and community project, full time/to fit around current responsibilities. 

Prospective candidates should be a fit and competent rock climber, including free climbing, whilst carrying food and equipment (or identify appropriate alternative methods for surveying tahr), appropriate scientific/environmental doctorate, or equivalent experience, experience conducting own research, preferably at landscape level and involving ecosystems services, publication record in a relevant field, experience of leading and managing applied research and conservation programmes, including financial management, preferably international., good interpersonal and communication skills including public speaking and scientific writing, ability to be aware of local cultural norms and be prepared to fit in with local cultures and traditions, ability to work professionally with colleagues, partner organisations and donors at all levels, demonstrable personal effectiveness in setting standards, reaching solutions and completing tasks for multiple concurrent projects, act under own initiative and also work as a team player; good staff management skills.

  If you wish to apply for the position please send a C.V and covering letter to Earthwatch (rmiller@earthwatch.org.uk) by Thursday 8th July.

5th June 2010

Recovery Plan for Nilgiri tahr gets off the block

A Recovery Plan for Nilgiri tahr prepared by Asia Biodiversity Conservation Trust, Trichur and Care Earth, Chennai, has been submitted to the Tamil Nadu forest department.  The plan was authored by P.S Easa, Mohan Alembath, Ranjit Daniels and James Zacharias.  The comprehensive plan prepared with emphasis on isolated populations, is expected to give a big boost to the conservation efforts of endangered Nilgiri tahr in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. As a run up to the plan several previously unknown, isolated small populations, of Nilgiri tahr were identified.

 2nd June 2010

Arabian Tahr in Dire Straits Reports Muscat Daily

Muscat Daily reports in its issue dated 1/06/10 that poaching of endangered Arabian Tahr is on the increase. This is happening in spite of the stringent measures taken by Omani Government for the protection of Arabian Tahr.

Last month Omani Environment ministry officials had, with the help of the Omani Police, foiled an attempt by the smugglers to smuggle out of the country an Arabian Tahr. This is the 5^th incident since May 2009.

Conservationists’ are advocating increased community participation, in the conservation efforts of Arabian Tahr, to check the menace of poaching.

24th April 2010

E.R.C. Davidar

E.R.C. Davidar who passed away earlier this month was a pioneer in Nilgiri tahr studies. His detailed census of Nilgiri tahr done in 1975 and published in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Association brought to light the plight of these animals. We owe a lot to him for his painstakingly done surveys. He will be remembered for a long, long time for his contribution to Nilgiri tahr conservation. Theodore Bhaskran has written a good piece on him in tody’s  “HIndu “. Read it here

1^st February 2010

Eravikulam National Park Closed to Visitors for 45 Days

It is parturition time for Nilgiri tahr in Eravikulam. Frolicking kids have started appearing. The park will now remain closed to visitors for 45 days, to prevent any disturbance to the animals. Special protection measures have been put in place by the park authorities.

1^st January 2010

Best wishes

2010 is the international year of biodiversity. Best wishes for your conservation mission during the year 2010.

15^th November 2009

  5th World Congress on Mountain Ungulates- A Roaring Success

The just ended 5^th world conference on mountain ungulates was a runaway success. Delegates from across the world made the conference a roaring success.

The conference authorities had ceaselessly worked to raise funds for bringing promising researchers from developing countries. The entire expenses were borne by the organizers.

The conference is bound to give a new impetus to mountain ungulate conservation.

We at the Nilgiritahrinfo are very pleased with the success of the conference and take this opportunity to pay encomium to the organizers.  

27th September 2009

5th World Congress on Mountain Ungulates-Preparations on Schedule

Preparations for the conference are going right on schedule. The response so far has been overwhelming.

The organizing committee is working very hard to make the conference a resounding success.

We at the Nilgiritahrinfo are very sure that this conference will be memorable one. Hats off to the organizing committee for their tireless efforts

15th  August 2009

Tamil Nadu moots conservation action plan for Nilgiri Tahr

Tamil Nadu forest department is coming out with an action plan for the conservation of endangered  Nilgiri Tahr. Asia Biodiversity Conservation Trust has been entrusted with the preparation of the plan under the species recovery programme. Associate organization for the work is Care Earth, Chennai.

Environmentalists all over India have welcomed the initiative shown by Tamil Nadu for the conservation of Nilgiri Tahr.

1st May 2009

Royal Protection for Arabian Tahr

United Arab Emirates has established the Wadi Wurayah Fujairah, home to the endangered Arabian tahr as the country's first protected mountain area. Wadi Wurayah Fujairah is a 129 km-square catchment.  His Highness Shaikh Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Fujairah, issued a decree this week that officially establishesdthe Wadi's protected status. Apart from Arabian tahr, presence of 11 other species of mammals, 73 species of birds, 17 species of reptiles and amphibians,  one species of fish and 74 invertebrate families have been recorded from the area. More than 300 species of plants have also been recorded in the area. Under the new proposed protection plan reviewed by the royal court, management inputs will be updated. More park rangers will be deployed to patrol the area. A nature education scheme will be implemented to educate visitors. Visitors will also be fined for leaving litter behind, polluting the water and painting graffiti.

We at the Nilgiritahrinfo salutes all the people who have worked tirelessly to make this dream come true.

10th March 2009

5th World Congress on Mountain Ungulates

7th March 2009

General Douglas Hamilton

General Douglas Hamilton (8 April 1818 – 20 January1892) was a British Indian Army officer, gazetted to the 21st Regiment of the Madras Native Infantry from 1837 to 1871. He is a legend in the Tahrcountry Highranges. Marcus Sherman has uploaded to Wikipedia all the information he has collected about this pioneering officer. Have a look at it. Follow the link. If it does not work paste it in your browser

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Hamilton

15th February 2009

Dr Marco Festa-Bianchet re-nominated Chair CSG

Dr.Marco Festa-Bianchet has been re-nominated as Chairman Of Caprinae Specialist group of SSC of IUCN. The chairman is planning a complete revamp of the CSG ahead of the 5th World Congress on Mountain Ungulates. We wish him a fruitful term as Chair of CSG

 29th December 2008

Have a look at Dr Clifford G Rice's work on Mountain Goats of Washington available  at http://tinyurl.com/MtnGoat.

5th October 2008

Dr Clifford G Rice has posted his publications on Nilgiri tahr on the web. It can be accessed at

http://home.comcast.net/~cefprice/tahrpubs/Nilgiri_tahr_publications.htm

 9th July 2008

5th World Congress on Mountain Ungulates

The world congress on Mountain Ungulates is an event eagerly awaited by Caprinae wildlife biologists and wildlife mangers. Here is good news. The 1^st announcement regarding the 5^th conference is out. It will be held in Andalucia, Spain, from November 10^th to 13th 2009, with a full-day excursion on the 14th.Details will be posted on CSG website soon.

8th May 2008

New Papers by Mr E. Kunhikrishnan 

Mr KunhiKrishnan has sent us two new papers on Shola and grasslands. 

Please look it up under Shola Forests

New

Distribution and status of the endangered Nilgiri tahr

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 94, NO. 1, 10 JANUARY 2008

R. J. RANJIT DANIELS

P. S. EASA

MOHAN ALEMBATH

The Chennai edition of The Hindu dated 24 November 2007 carried an article on  conservation breeding of endangered mammals. The proposed conservation initiative of the Government of India targets a few species of mammals, including the Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius), that are endemic to the Western Ghats. The article suggests that the population size of the Nilgiri tahr presently stands at3500 and reintroduction of captive-bred animals will improve the conservation status of the species.

  The article has certainly reiterated the need for more dedicated conservation efforts on less charismatic species like the Nilgiri tahr. Nevertheless, we contend that both the estimated population size and the proposed conservation strategy presented therein are rather unrealistic.The reasons for our skepticism are presented here.

One of the recent checklists of the world’s extant mammals includes 34species1 of caprine ungulates (goats, sheep  and allies). And among the extant caprine ungulates, the Nilgiri tahr has the unique distinction of being the only species that is endemic to tropicalmountains2. The Nilgiri tahr is one of the three species known in the genus Hemitragus.While it is generally accepted that the three species of tahr are the descendants of an extinct Eurasian ancestor2, some biologists believe that the Arabian, Himalayan and Nilgiri tahrs have had varied ancestry and that the Nilgiri tahr shouldbe placed in an endemic monotypic genus,Nilgiritragus3. In spite of the taxonomic uncertainties and debates, the fact that he Nilgiri tahr is a Pleistocene relic inthe Western Ghats2 enhances its conservation value.

During the year 2006, the Wildlife Trust of India (New Delhi) sponsored a short-term survey of the Nilgiri tahr4. Although the duration was only four months, (May–August), the study had several merits. To begin with, it is noteworthy that the 2006survey was the first attempt that was made to assess the habitat, distribution and population size of the Nilgiri tahr over its entire range after a gap of over two decades. Further, with the cooperation andsupport of the Forest Departments ofTamil Nadu and Kerala, the study provided us opportunities to visit some remote localities where there have not beenany recent surveys made (Care Earth and Wildlife Trust of India, unpublished).

The key finding of our recent study is that the population size of the Nilgiri tahr may not be more than 2000 at present(Care Earth and Wildlife Trust of India,unpublished). An analysis of census data for four decades, beginning in 1969,available for Eravikulam National Park,Mukurthi National Park and Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park, has suggested that the number of Nilgiritahrs has fluctuated considerably even where the species has enjoyed 75–100years of protection. The discernable trendhas only pointed to population decline in two out of three of the dedicated Nilgiritahr conservation areas4. The primaryr easons for the decline in the number of Nilgiri tahrs are loss of habitat and hunting (Care Earth and Wildlife Trust of India, unpublished).

Historical information available of the geographical range, population size and distribution has suggested that the Nilgiritahr occurred in mid and high elevation hills of southwestern Karnataka, western Tamil Nadu and Kerala2. Over this 400 km range in the southern Western Ghats, there may have been 50,000–100,000Nilgiri tahrs at the time that the Britishinvaded the region. This estimate has been made taking into consideration early reports that in the Palani Hills landscape alone there was a population of 25,000–30,000 (Care Earth and Wildlife Trust ofIndia, unpublished). Hunting and habitat loss soon decimated the Nilgiri tahr that by the turn of the twentieth century the species was on the brink of extinction2.

While it is remarkable that in 100years the population of the tahr has recovered pattern and population trends do not suggest that the species is doing well. For, at present, the Nilgiri tahr is known only from 50 to 60 localities that are distributed over six high elevation landscapes in the Western Ghats of TamilNadu and Kerala, wherein local populations are often in the form of single herds of not more than 10 individuals (CareEarth and Wildlife Trust of India, unpublished). Small and isolated populations of the tahr found throughout the six landscapes are indication that despite fragmentation, degradation and pressures of Poaching, the existing habitats continueto support the species. As much of the available information on the Nilgiri tahr has come from studies that were confined to a few easily accessible localities and familiar populations, little is known about the survival strategies that the species adopts, in isolation, outside the conservation areas.

In the absence of more detailed studies that shed light on the dynamics, including patterns of migration (if any) of the’ marginal’ populations, and the availability and suitability of habitats, attempts to breed and reintroduce the Nilgiri tahr will be premature. Unless dedicated efforts are made to control poaching and improve the extent and quality of habitat, reintroduced animals are unlikely to survive. A conservation strategy that lays emphasis on improving habitat extent and quality, such that the connectivity between marginal and core populations is reestablished within (and possibly between)the landscapes, seems to be the most appropriate intervention at this juncture.

1. Duff, A. and Lawson, A., Mammals of the World: A Checklist, A & C Black, London, 2004.

2. Daniels, R. J. R., The Nilgiri Tahr: An Endemic South Indian Mountain Goat, Macmillan India Ltd, New Delhi, 2006.

3. Ropiquet, A. and Hassanin, A., Mol. Phylogenet. Evol., 2005, 36, 154–168.

4. Daniels, R. J. R., Easa, P. S., Ramkumar, K., Arumugam, R., Mammen, P. and Alembath, M., Paper presented at the Fourth   World Congress on Mountain Ungulates, Munnar, 12–15 September 2006 (abstr.).

29th January 08

The first birth of the season has been reported from Eravikulam National Park today. This year the birth has been delayed by 3 weeks. The rutting which synchronises with the  onset of monsoon rains, was delayed this year due to erratic rains. This has been reflected in delayed births. The park will now remain closed for 2 months to ensure that there is no disturbance to this endangered species during birth season. The births taper off towards end of February.