NILIGIRI TAHR

Nilgiri Tahr

The Nilgiri Tahr is an endangered mountain goat species, which is now found in some areas of Kerala. The species became endangered due to continuous poaching and lack of natural habitats for them. They are considered as the state animal of Tamil Nadu but are now having troubling finding a home in the state. There are around 2500 Nilgiri Tahrs left in the world now and their numbers remain decreasing due to harmful human activities.

Nilgiri tahrs are stocky goats with short, coarse fur and a bristly mane. Males are larger than the females, and have a darker colour when mature. Both sexes have curved horns, which are larger in the males, reaching up to 40 cm for males and 30 cm for females. Adult males weigh 80-100 kg