Annamalai National Park
At a Glance
Anamalai wildlife sanctuary is one of the most attractive preserves of nature in Tamil Nadu, is also known as the India Gandhi National Park and is located in the Western Ghats. There are many places of natural and scenic beauty in the Annamalai wildlife sanctuary. Some of them are Grass hills, Karianshola, Anaikunthi Shola, groves, waterfalls, teak forests, reservoirs and dams. Nilgiri Langur, Liontailed macaque Gaur, Elephant, Chital, Sambar, Mouse Deer, Barking Deer, Variety of Birds, Tiger, panther, Wild Dog, Nilgiri Tahr.The park is rich in mixed deciduous forest with fair population of rosewood and teaks.
The forests are noted for their valuable timber trees including teak and rosewood, Hopea parviflora, Mesua ferrea, Calophyllum tomentosum, Vateria indica, Cullenia excels and Mangifera indica. Softwoods include Machilus Macrantha, Alstonia scholaris, Evodia meliaefolia, Ailanthus and Malabaricum. Wood for making pulp is procured from Eucalyptus hybrid and Eucalyptus grandis. Minor forest produce is collected from bamboos, reeds, soapnuts, canes, gums, lemon grass, wild cardamom, honey and amla. In addition to the economically useful plants listed, some rare orchids are found and the sanctuary is the only home of the South Indian species of conifer, podocarpus wallichianus.
Climate
The mercury ranges from 14°C – 32°C during March to October and to 6°C-24°C during November to February. Avoid rainy months.
Flora
Rich mixed deciduous forest, Tropical wet Evergreen, Tropical moist deciduous. The vegetation or Flora in Indira Gandhi National Park comprises some 8,000 species of plants. The jungles in Indira Gandhi Sanctuary are thick and wooded with the flora to back up the fabulous fauna. There are evergreen forests in Indira Gandhi National Park, which are moist and deciduous forests and the lagoons and estuaries, sheltering unique forms of plant and animal life. The dry deciduous, the semi-evergreen, and the wet temperate habitat of this park contain teak, rose wood and many miscellaneous tropical species.
Fauna
The Anamalai wildlife sanctuary has various kinds of fauna like Panther, Elephant, Gaur, Sloth Bear, Tiger, Deer, Wild Bear, Porcupine, Wild Dog, Flying Squirrel, Jackal, Civet Cat, Pangolin and birds like Rocket-tailed Drongo, Red Tree Pie, Whiskered Bulbul, Spotted Dove, Black Headed Oriole, Pigeon etc. There is a reservoir (the Amaravati reservoir) in the Anamalai, having a large number of crocodiles. In Anamalai (Indira Gandhi) National Park one can also see sambar, gaur, mouse deer, barking deer, but the exclusive attraction of the National Park are Nilgiri langur, lion tailed macaque and spectacular birds.
At a Glance