Nilgiri Tahr population in State increases to 1,364, finds survey

Key points

• The population of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr, Tamil Nadu’s State animal, has risen to an estimated 1,364, according to the third synchronised population survey, conducted jointly by the Tamil Nadu and Kerala Forest Departments.
• The estimate represents a 4.68% increase from the 1,303 animals recorded in 2025 and a 32% increase from the 1,031 estimated during the first synchronised survey in 2024. The findings were released on Friday by Minister for Forests R.V.
• Ranjith Kumar and Environment Minister V.K.
• Along with the Nilgiri Tahr report, they also released the State-level Synchronised Wetland Birds Survey 2026, State-level Synchronised Terrestrial Birds Survey 2026, and the Tamil Nadu State-wide Raptor Assessment Report.
• The survey was carried out under Project Nilgiri Tahr, a flagship conservation initiative to secure the future of the endemic mountain ungulate found only in the Western Ghats.