Older males are known as ‘saddlebacks’ due to the whitish hairs that develop on the rump in the shape of a saddle as they age . Saddlebacks are extremely imposing animals with impressive horns that reach can 40 centimetres long and 22 centimetres in circumference . In Tamil, Nilgiri tahr are known as ‘Varayadu’, ‘Varrai’ meaning ‘rocky outcrops’ and ‘Adu’ meaning ‘goat’. Thus, they are the wild goat that lives on the rocky escarpment.