Nilgiri tahr  (Hemitragus hylocrius)

The precise distribution of this species in the past is not well documented but the range and numbers of these goat antelope were more widespread than they are today (2). Habitat destruction and sport hunting, especially by European colonists, have decimated tahr numbers (2). The Nilgiri tahr is now fully protected in India but poaching remains a threat today (2).

The Nilgiri tahr has increased in numbers in recent decades thanks to strict protection within one of India's most effective National Parks; Eravikulam National Park was established in 1978 and covers around 97 square kilometres (2). The area was declared as a sanctuary in 1975 and subsequently elevated to the status of a National Park in 1978 taking into consideration the importance of the area in terms of conservation (4). The 2003 census of the park recorded 750 individuals (4). Current conservation objectives include further study of the ecology and behaviour of this fascinating goat antelope, and the investigation of the possibility of re-introductions (2). Within the Eravikulam National Park and the grasslands of the Tamil Nadu, the Niligiri tahr may have a relatively secure future, but elsewhere in the Western Ghats, populations are extremely fragmented and highly vulnerable (4).