CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -Nilgiri Tahr, known as Varaiaadu in Tamil, the animal is classified as a critically endangered species in the IUCN red list of threatened species and is protected under schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972.

Detailed explanation-2: -This endemic species of the Western Ghats is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius, former name is Hemitragus hylocrius) is an endangered mountain ungulate endemic to the southern part of the Western Ghats. The species is found in a roughly 400 km stretch in the Western Ghats which falls in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Nilgiri tahr is primarily threatened by habitat loss and disturbance caused by invasive species, and in some sites by livestock grazing, poaching and fragmentation of the landscape.

Detailed explanation-5: -Under The Nilgiri Tahr project, the government plans to develop a better understanding of the Nilgiri Tahr population through surveys and radio telemetry studies; reintroduce the Tahrs to their historical habitat; address proximate threats; and increase public awareness of the species.