Tamil Nadu government sets up Nilgiri Tahr conservation project

  • The Tamil Nadu government has launched an initiative for the conservation of the Nilgiri Tahr (State animal) at a cost of ₹25.14 crore.
  • Aim: To develop a better understanding of the Nilgiri Tahr population through surveys and radio telemetry studies; reintroduce the Tahrs to their historical habitat
  • The project is to be implemented from 2022 to 2027.
  • Nilgiris Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius), endemic to the Western ghats and locally known as ‘Varaiaadu’.