The population of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr (a wild mountain goat endemic to the Western Ghats of southern India and Tamil Nadu's state animal) has grown to an estimated 1,364 individuals, according to the third synchronised survey conducted jointly by the Tamil Nadu and Kerala forest departments. The figure represents a 32% increase from the 1,031 animals counted in the first such survey in 2024, with the latest count conducted across 177 survey blocks in April 2026 by nearly 860 personnel covering more than 3,200 km of rugged terrain. Conservationists say the steady upward trend provides a strong scientific foundation for ongoing habitat restoration and long-term management under Project Nilgiri Tahr, the flagship government initiative to protect the species.