Western Ghats have been a chapter of mystery for everybody. The rich wildlife in the forest areas are a matter of fascination for all the travellers at here. Many rare organisms are seen and recorded here. Many of them are endangered species too. In order to conserve these endangered species of flora and fauna, many forest areas were announced as buffer zones and many national parks, wildlife sanctuaries etc. were created. Munnar with its glorious charm and ambience stand as the most visited hill station in Kerala. This wonderful high range area in Western Ghats is a treasure of many precious species of animals, birds, butterflies, plants, trees etc. The climate is moderate and is chillier in the peak seasons. This attracts visitors from all corner of the world to here. The nature lovers visit here to spot the endangered organisms at here. The first of them is the Nilgiri Tahr which is an exclusive attraction of Munnar valleys and premises.
The Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) is a type of goat found in the valleys of western Ghats. This animal finds its habitat at grasslands with steep rocky shelters. Eravikulam National Park at Munnar protects Nilgiri Tahr and provides a safe and comfortable atmosphere for them to live and reproduce. It is the only Tahr that lives in cold tropical climate. You can see them grazing at the valleys in early morning time and late evenings. On your visit to the park, if you are lucky you can spot them grazing at the valleys. The male goat is a bigger one and is darker too. Monsoon is the time when mating take place. Female usually give birth to one kid in a pregnancy. The average life span of this animal is about 3.5 years.
Nilgiri Tahr is the state animal of Tamil Nadu. It is a sad matter to know that once due to haunting the number of this animal was declined to some hundreds. The major reason why Nilgiri Tahr faces extinction is their habitat loss and poaching. Several measures have been taken in order to increase the number of Nilgiri Tahr and they were successful too. Now there are about 2000 Tahrs recorded in the park. The only places in earth where you can this animal more than 300 in number are Eravikulam National Park and Green Hills of Anamalai. As this animal is present nowhere else in the world, it is very essential to continue the conservation measures. Other places where you can spot this animal are Periyar National Park, Palni Hills, Boothapandi, Azhakiyapandipuram, Velimalai etc. About 30 numbers are there in the Ponmudi Hills at Trivandrum. Don’t miss the chance to watch this animal in life.
Jyothis Mp