Indira Gandhi National Park

The Indira Gandhi National Park is a national park in Tamil Nadu in southern India . The national park was originally called Anaimalai National Park and got its current name in honor of Indira Gandhi , the former Prime Minister of India.

Mountain landscape in the national park

The Nilgiri langur is a typical wild animal of the region

Location, landscape and vegetation

The national park is located in the Western Ghats in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu . The area of ​​the national park extends over the districts of Coimbatore and Tiruppur . The mountains of the region are known as Anaimalais (Elephant Mountains ). The protected area (Indira Gandhi Game Reserve and National Park) extends over a total of 958 square kilometers. The lowest parts of the reserve are at the feet of the mountains at around 300 meters. The highest locations in the Valparai plateau reach up to 1250 meters. The flora ranges from dry thorn forests in the lower elevations to semi- evergreen forests to grassy areas and evergreen rainforests and bamboo forests. The local population of the reserve essentially belongs to smaller Adivasi ethnic groups such as the Kadar, Malasar, Malai Malasar, Muduvar, Pulayar and Eravalar. Some of these are employed as park rangers and in anti-poaching units.

Wildlife

The diverse landscape is reflected in an extremely diverse fauna. The park's elephant herds are probably the most prominent residents. In addition, the Nilgiri Tahr , which is only found in southern India, is a particularly distinctive species of the park. Other herbivores are Gaure , sambar , spotted deer , barking deer , Kant Chile , and wild boar . Large predators such as tigers , leopards , sloth bears and Asian wild dogs are also present in the park. Smaller predators are leopard cat , jungle cat , Bengal Fox , Small Indian Civet , Civet , ruddy mongoose , stripe-necked mongoose , otter , soft coated otter and Indian yellow-throated marten . Primates are represented by Indian hat monkeys , Hanuman langurs , Nilgiri langurs , bearded monkeys, and slim loris. Other conspicuous mammals are the Indian pangolin , the Indian porcupine and various squirrels, hares and flying foxes.

Among the more than 300 bird species, the imposing double hornbill is to be highlighted as a characteristic species of the South Indian forests. The marsh crocodile and the Bengal monitor are among the largest reptile species .

swell

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary & National Park . Tamil Nadu Forest Department. Archived from the original on November 2, 2007. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved September 6, 2007. 

Web links

Commons : Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 10 ° 25 '  N , 77 ° 3'  E