In a somber announcement on Sunday, the forest department confirmed a tragic incident within Mukurthi National Park (MNP): a radio-collared Nilgiri tahr, part of crucial monitoring efforts, was killed by a tiger. This event, which occurred after the tahr was fitted with its collar in December 2024, underscores the harsh realities of life in the wild.
Forest officials had been diligently tracking this particular tahr, gathering invaluable data on the species’ behavior. These insights were intended to inform ongoing reintroduction programs aimed at restoring Nilgiri tahr populations in areas where they have vanished. The loss represents a setback to these vital conservation initiatives.
Concerns arose on Friday, October 10, when the animal’s radio-collar signal indicated an unusual lack of movement. A subsequent search by forest personnel led to the discovery of the tahr’s carcass near the Devil’s Gap stream, nestled within a Shola forest patch in MNP. The radio-collar was found nearby, and initial observations strongly suggested a large carnivore attack.
A post-mortem examination conclusively confirmed that the Nilgiri tahr had been hunted and killed by a tiger. Further investigation revealed clear signs of the tiger just a few hundred meters from the kill site. In response, the forest department immediately deployed camera traps to officially document the predator’s presence in the vicinity.
By Saturday, camera footage confirmed the presence of the tiger suspected of the kill, providing definitive evidence of the predator’s involvement in the tahr’s demise.