Reckless tourists hound Nilgiri tahr for selfies

CHENNAI: Selfies with wild animals are prohibited in most sanctuaries in the country but visitors often show scant regard for the norms despite signboards staring them in the face. The endangered Nilgiri tahr has suffered at the hands of unruly tourists at several hairpin bends in Valparai for the last couple of years.

As the animals graze at this hill station in Coimbatore district, some tourists pull their tails to make them strike a pose for the camera while a few others even kick them.

“Even though the forest department has placed banners here, they are ignored by visitors,” said Mohammed Ismail, a wildlife conservation researcher. To raise awareness about the tourist menace, Ismail and his friends documented it on camera from March 2017 to April 2018. Although Ismail has written to the forest department about the violation of wildlife rules several times, he says he is yet to get any response.

“During my recent visit to the hills a week ago, I witnessed tourists harassing the animals. Several anthropogenic activities may negatively impact the behaviour of wildlife and its conservation. The forest department should take immediate steps to stop this menace,” he said.

Ismail also said there was a guard to control the tourists until a year ago, but he was transferred to another area later.

Despite being the state animal of Tamil Nadu, the government is not concerned about its well-being, he said. The Eravikulam National Park in Kerala is home to the largest population of Nilgiri tahr in India. However, small populations of the species can be seen in the Anamalai hills, Palani hills and other pockets in the Western Ghats.

“In Eravikulam, the Nilgiri tahr is taken care of well. They have various programmes to promote the healthy living of these animals. It’s high time the TN government took a similar initiative to protect them,” he said.