Location | Perched 7000 ft. above sea level, the Park was a former hunting preserve of British planters |
Designation | Declared a Sanctuary in 1975, and a National Park in 1978 |
Significance | Protects the highly endangered mountain goat, Nilgiri Tahr, and is the land of the Neelakurinji flower that blooms once in twelve years |
Extent | Covers an area of 97 sq. km of rolling grasslands and high-level sholas |
Climate | Receives heavy showers during the southwest (June/July) and retreating (October/November) Monsoons; one of the wettest areas in the world |
Topography | Undulating terrain with grass, hillocks, and sholas; highest peak south of the Himalayas, the Anamudi, is located here |
Vegetation | Majorly covered with rolling grasslands, with several patches of shola forests; important flora includes Actinodaphne bourdilloni, Microtropis ramiflora, Strobilanthus Kunthianus (Neela Kurinji), etc. |
Wildlife Population | 29 species of mammals, including the endemic Nilgiri Tahr, Gaur, Sloth Bear, Nilgiri Langur, Tiger, Leopard, Giant Squirrel, and wild dog; 140 species of birds, including 10 unique to the Western Ghats; more than 100 varieties of butterflies and 20 species of amphibians are also recorded here. |