It’s calving season at Eravikulam Park

 
After the kurinji season, it is calving season now at the Eravikulam National park near Munnar. At least two dozen endangered Nilgiri ibexibex  (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) are pregnant and some have already given birth.

The Park has been closed to visitors for a month from February 1 to protect the calves. This may be extended until the calving season is over. Despite good management, the number of ibex in the Park dwindled to about 700 last year from more than 1,000 a decade ago.

The numbers may go up if the new-borns survive in large numbers. This season is crucial for the conservation of the ibex, which is in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Mammals.

Also called Nilgiri Tahr, the ibex are thought to be primitive cousins of goats, they inhabit the maountains at places like Ponmudi, Silent Valley and Parabmbikulam in Kerala and Anamalais and Palanis in Tamil Nadu.

(The Hindu, 12th February 2007)