For the first time in recorded history, the Munnar Wildlife Division has caught on camera a leopard attacking a Nilgiri tahr (adult male) on the grassland cliff of Rajamala inside the Eravikulam National Park (ENP).

Officials of the national park said the incident was significant in terms of studying the food chain in a forest habitat. There has been no recorded history of a Nilgiri tahr saddleback falling prey to a leopard on the grassland cliff.

The camera trap captured images on July 21, 22 and 23 of the leopard devouring the carcass of the 13-year-old tahr after dragging it to the shola forest. So far, there had been no evidence of Nilgiri Tahrs falling prey to a predator on the rock cliff. Nearly 50 pictures were taken using the camera trap.

Talking to The Hindu, Munnar Wildlife Warden G. Prasad said the saddleback was noticed by the authorities on the grassland cliff on July 20. Its carcass was found in the foothills the next day with evidence of a chase on the grassland cliff. It took three days for the predator to eat the carcass.

“This is for the first time in the Eravikulam National Park that a predator has been captured on camera eating the carcass of a Nilgiri saddleback,” said Mr Prasad.

The camera trap was set after continuous monitoring of Nilgiri tahr of different ages, including newly born, on the cliff.

The skull of an adult female tahr was found near Pettimudy recently. It is suspected that the tahr may have been attacked by the same category of predator.

The camera trap was set up after Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Amit Malik gave a direction in this regard.

“A team comprising forester Chandrababu, Eco-Development Committee members and other forest staff coordinated the efforts and it would help in the future management plan of the park and in studying the predator-prey relation in the ENP’s ecosystem,” said Mr. Prasad.