Conservation and Ecology of the Himalayan Tahr

#GS-3 #Environment #Wildlife #Biodiversity #Prelims #Current Events #National

Key takeaways

The Kedarnath Wildlife Division initiated cleanups because tourist refuse is disturbing the natural diet of the Himalayan tahr in alpine bugyals.
The species is confined entirely to the Himalayas and lives mainly at altitudes ranging from 3,500 and 4,500 metres.
Due to poaching and habitat degradation, the IUCN Red List lists the animal as Near Threatened (NT).
Adult males weigh up to 90 to 180 kg, contrasting with females that average around 60 kg.

The Kedarnath Wildlife Division decided to manage human visitors and start massive cleanup operations across high-altitude bugyals in Uttarakhand.
Forest officials noticed that garbage left by tourists and unauthorized feeding are changing the natural foraging habits of the Himalayan tahr.

The animal is a heavy wild goat-antelope with even toes, scientifically named Hemitragus jemlahicus, and locals in Uttarakhand call it Karth.

The species lives natively across the Himalayas, spanning northern India across Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim, as well as Nepal, northern Pakistan, and southern Tibet.
It lives mainly on steep rocky crags and alpine meadows between 3,500 and 4,500 metres, moving down to oak and conifer forests at 2,500 metres during severe winter cold.

The IUCN Red List classifies the animal as Near Threatened (NT) because of poaching, divided populations, and food competition with domestic cattle.

The animal carries a thick double-layered reddish-brown coat for freezing winds, and fully grown males grow a distinctive thick mane around the neck in winter.
Both sexes have backward-curving horns that reach up to 46 cm in adult males, helping them defend against predators and fight rivals.
The species shows strong physical differences between sexes, with males weighing between 90 to 180 kg while females average about 60 kg.
Its hooves feature soft rubbery centers surrounded by sharp keratin edges, working like climbing spikes on steep cliffs.
The animal eats only plants like grasses, herbs, and bamboo, taking most of its daily water from morning frost and dew.