About Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary:
- It is located in Kerala.
- It is located on the western slopes of the Nilgiris.
- The name ‘Karimpuzha’ is derived from the Karimpuzha River, a tributary of the river Chaliyar.
- The forest areas of Karimpuzha WLS form part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR).
- It forms part of the Nilambur Elephant Reserve (Nilambur ER), one of the four ERs notified in the country.
- It shares a boundary with Mukurthi NP (Tamil Nadu) on the eastern side and Silent Valley NP (Kerala) on the southern side.
- The nomadic tribes, the Cholanaikans, Cave men of Kerala, are living inside the Karimpuzha WLS.
- They are classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) by the Government of India.
- Vegetation: It is unique in Kerala for encompassing all seven forest types found in the state, including evergreen rainforest, semi-evergreen forest, moist deciduous forest, subtropical savannah, subtropical hill forest, montane wet temperate forest, and montane wet grasslands.
- Flora: It supports rich flora, including teak, rosewood, bamboo, medicinal plants, and endemic orchids.
- Fauna:
- It harbors a wide variety of fauna, including endangered species like the Nilgiri Tahr, lion-tailed macaque, elephants, tigers, leopards, sloth bears, gaur (Indian bison), and diverse birdlife.
- Its pristine forests also shelter endangered fish species like the Malabar Mahseer.
