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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