The Nilgiri Thar.

The Nilgiri Thar, a creature most closely related to sheep, calls the 97 square kilometer Eravikulam National park in Kerala, India, home. It is endemic to this area, meaning it is vulnerable. Getting to the nationalpark is an easy ride from Munnar, 13 kilometers downhill. At the visitor centre one will be ferried up to a walking road up in the hills by vehicles run by the nationalpark. As usual foreigners are charged several times the amount an Indian national pays, but at least one get a small extra service here-by getting in front of the transport queue. Usually in India we pay the most and get the least so this is rather unusual. The park is sort of a circus. The wilderness feeling is pushed in the background by screaming Indian tourists and vendors. But at least the animals are free, and free roaming and the chance of seeing them is overwhelming most of the time. Sometimes close up-they are not particularly shy animals. They numbers around 2000 individuals-up from a minimum of only 100. They used to roam the region in large numbers. hunting brought them down. Eravikulam national park has the largest concentration of Thars-almost 900 individuals.

Steady climbers.

A Thar eats its way trough the vegetation. They live in areas dominated by a mix of forest and open grassland 1200-2600 meters above sea level.

A proud Thar stands guard on a rock. For quite some time i was sitting watching them, before they gradually were lost in a patch of forest.