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Eravikulam
national park
A
sanctuary for the endangered mountain goat of South India, the Nilgiri
Tahr ( Hemitragus hylocrious), the Eravikulam National Park stands out
for the stark beauty of its rolling grasslands, spread over 97 sq km
in the Rajamalai hills.
Set up specially for the preservation of Nilgiri Tahr, now the number
of Tahrs has increased and they constitute the largest known population
of Tahrs existing in the world. The park lies along the high ranges
of the western coast in the Munnar Forest Division of Idukki district
in Kerala. It is situated on the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in
the north where it is extends as the Annamalai National Park.
Anamudi, the highest peak (2695 m) south of the Himalayas, towers over
the sanctuary in majestic pride. The slopes of the hills abound in all
kinds of rare flora and fauna. The Atlas moth, the largest of its kind
in the world, is a unique inhabitant of the park. Other rare species
of fauna found here are the Nilgiri Langur, the lion-tailed macaque,
leopards, tigers, etc.
A protected area, the park is divided into 3 regions - the core area,
the buffer area
and the tourism area. Visitors are allowed only to the tourism area
- Rajamalai - the region lying beyond the road entry into Eravikulam.
An ideal place for trekking, facilities are provided here and tourists
are allowed to go on foot up to Anamudi. Walks and hiking around this
small town are an exhilarating experience. Travelers can also enjoy
walking through the numerous tea estates of Munnar and view the entire
process of tea making, right from plucking the tealeaves to their processing
at the Kundale tea plantation.
Getting there
Nearest railway stations: Kottayam, about 142 km from Munnar;
Ernakulam, about 130 km from Munnar.
Nearest airports: Madurai (Tamilnadu) about 142 km; Cochin International
Airport, about 150 km.
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