Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiri Tahr population has recorded a steady rise with the third synchronised population estimation conducted in April 2026, putting the count at an estimated 1,364 individuals, showing a 4.68 per cent increase over last year. The ungulates, or hoofed animals are an endangered species found exclusively in the Southern Western Ghats.
The Nilgiri Tahr inhabits the verdant sub-alpine grasslands of the Western Ghats in and Kerala, and it plays a vital role in nutrient cycling in the high-altitude mountain ecosystem. It has been accorded the highest protection status under the Wildlife Protection Act.
In the last two estimation exercises, the state had recorded 1,303 and 1,031 individuals, in 2025 and 2024, respectively, thus signalling a positive recovery trend. The results carry a 95% confidence interval of 869 to 2,465 individuals.
Among all the divisions that were covered, Pollachi Forest Division recorded the highest estimated population with 438 individuals, contributing a major share of the total population. Udhagai Division of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve recorded the second highest estimate with 313 individuals, while Tiruppur division supported a significant population with 148 individuals.
“The Anamalai Hills holds 44.87 percent of the total population of Nilgiri Tahr in Tamil Nadu, whereas the Nilgiris landscape holds 29.25 per cent of the population,” a press release issued by Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary to Environment, Climate Change and Forest Department stated.
Age and sex data revealed that adult females constituted 38.4% of the observed population and adult males 34.6%, with a male-to-female ratio of 55:100. Yearlings accounted for 15.5% and young animals for 11.5%.
The Nilgiri Tahr is primarily found in Tamil Nadu and Kerala with its distribution stretching from the southern tip of Kanyakumari to the Nilgiri Hills in the north. “However, this distribution is no longer contiguous, and the species now persists in scattered populations across suitable habitats,” the third estimation report stated.
The estimation exercise was carried out by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department under Project Nilgiri Tahr, from April 24-27, 2026, and it covered 14 forest divisions.
