Chennai: Wildlife authorities in Tamil Nadu have launched a new mobile app for this year’s synchronised Nilgiri Tahr survey. State forest secretary Supriya Sahu said, for the first time, authorities have deployed a dedicated mobile application called ‘Varudai’ for real-time data collection, GPS-based tracking and standardised reporting, supported by a web-based platform enabling near real-time integration of field data. The app enhances accuracy and efficiency in analysing the collected data across the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, involving forest staff, volunteers and researchers. This is the third survey, which began on Friday and concluded on Sunday. The first survey in 2024 estimated the population at 1,031 individuals, which increased to 1,303 in last year’s second survey, a 26% rise signalling conservation success.The present survey spans 14 forest divisions, 43 ranges, 124 beats and 177 survey blocks, covering over 3,100km, nearly double the distance recorded in the inaugural 2024 survey. It extends across the species’ full range in TN, from Ashambu Mottai at 902m above sea level in Kanyakumari district in the south to Tavalamalai at 986m in Gudalur in the north.
