The Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) is the only mountain ungulate in southern India amongst the 12 species present in India.
The Nilgiri tahr is a congener of the Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus), found in Kashmir and Bhutan and the Arabian tahr (Arabitragus jayakari), found in Oman and United Arab Emirates.
It is also the state animal of Tamil Nadu.
It is an endemic species of the Western Ghats.
The Nilgiri tahr, which used to be found along the entire stretch of Western Ghats, is presently found only in small fragmented pockets.
Existing populations are under severe stress due to habitat loss and hunting
