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
