the end of 20th century. Since that time, their numbers have increased somewhat; in a comprehensive study of the Nilgiri tahr population in Western Ghats, the WWF-India has put the population at 3,122. Their range extends over from north to south, and Eravikulam National Park is home to the largest population. Per the wildlife census conducted by Kerala forest department in association with volunteers from College of Forestry and Veterinary Science under Kerala Agricultural University, from April 24–28, 2014, the number of animals in Eravikulam National Park has increased to 894 individuals. This is the highest ever count recorded in the national park, with the first census in 1996 finding only 640 tahrs. The other significant concentration is in the Nilgiri Hills, with smaller populations in the Anamalai Hills, Periyar National Park, Palani Hills, and other pockets in the Western Ghats south of Eravikulam, almost to India's southern tip. A small population of tahrs numbering around 200 is known to inhabit the Boothapandi, Azhakiyapandipuram, Velimalai, Kulasekaram, and Kaliyal Ranges in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu and another small herd of less than 30 animals is known to inhibit Ponmudi Hills in Trivandrum district of Kerala. See also Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve Wildlife of India References Further reading Rice, G. Clifford, Reproductive biology of Nilgiri tahr, Journal of Zoology, London (PDF) External links ARKive - images and movies of the Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius) https://web.archive.org/web/20160110153501/http://nilgiritahrinfo.info/ Caprids Mammals of India Fauna of Kerala Fauna of Tamil Nadu Fauna of the Western Ghats Endemic fauna of the Western Ghats Nilgiri tahr