Eravikulam National Park

About Eravikulam National Park:

• Location: It is located along the Western Ghats in the Idukki district of Kerala.
• It was declared a National Park in 1978.
• The Park covers an area of 97 sq. km.
• The highest peak south of the Himalayas, the Anamudi (2695 metres), is situated on the southern side of the park.
• This is also the land of “Neelakurinji”, the flower that blooms once every twelve years.
• Climate: The park receives heavy showers during the southwest (June/July) and retreating (October/November) monsoons and is one of the wettest areas in the world.
• Vegetation: The major part of the park is covered with rolling grasslands, but several patches of shola forests are also found in the upper part of the valley. 
• Flora:
• Important flora includes Actinodaphne bourdilloni, Microtropis ramiflora, Pittosporum tetraspermium, Sysygium aronottianum, Chrysopogon Zelanieus, etc.
• The shola grasslands are exceptionally rich in balsams and orchids, including the long-thought-extinct variety Brachycorythis wightii.
• Fauna:
• The Nilgiri Tahr, Gaur, Sloth Bear, Nilgiri Langur, Tiger, Leopard, Giant Squirrel, and wild dog are the common species.
• Half of the world population of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr lives here.
• The Atlas moth, the largest of its kind in the world, is seen in this park.
• 140 species of birds, of which 10 are unique to the Western Ghats. More than 100 varieties of butterflies have been recorded here. 

Key Facts about Nilgiri Tahr:

• It is an endangered mountain ungulate endemic to the southern part of the Western Ghats. 
• Scientific Name: Nilgiritragus hylocrius
• Locally, the animal is called ‘Varayaadu’.
• They are known for their gravity-defying skills in climbing steep cliffs, earning them the nickname Mountain Monarch.
• It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.
• Distribution:
• Their present distribution is limited to approximately 5% of the Western Ghatsin southern India (Kerala and Tamil Nadu).
• Eravikulam National Parkin Kerala has the highest density and largest surviving population of Nilgiri tahr. 
• Habitat: They inhabit the open montane grassland habitatsat elevations from 1200 to 2600 m of the South Western Ghats.
• Features:
• It has a stocky body with short, coarse furand a bristly mane. 
• Both sexes have curved horns, which are larger in the males, reaching up to 40 cm in males and 30 cm in females. 
• Adult males develop a light grey area or ’saddle’ on their backsand are hence called ‘saddlebacks’.
• It has a short grey-brown or dark coat.
• Conservation Status:
• IUCN Red List: Endangered
• Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972: Schedule I