The association was founded in 1879 by Act of the Madras Government, its declared object being the preservation of existing game in the Nilgiri district and the adjoining area included under Madras Act II of 1879 and the interdiction and preservation of other game birds and animals. That object remains the same today though the fact is perhaps not always fully realized. The area under its control comprises not only the adjacent districts of Coimbatore and Malabar. Within those limits a game license is necessary for anyone desiring to shoot in reserved forests or on government lands. These licenses are issued by the district forest officer and the fees credited to the association.