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{{Short description|National park in India}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Eravikulam National Park ഇരവികുളം ദേശീയ ഉദ്യാനം
| alt_name =
| iucn_category = II
| photo = Kurunji. ..jpg
| photo_alt =
| photo_caption = ''[[Strobilanthes kunthiana]]''
| photo_width =
| map = India Kerala#India
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location in Kerala, India
| map_width =
| location = [[Idukki District|Idukki]], Kerala, India and [[Pooyamkutty]] forest, [[Ernakulam district]], Kerala, India
| nearest_town = [[Munnar]], [[Palani]], [[Theni]], [[Kothamangalam]], [[Adimali]]
| coordinates = {{coords|10.2|N|77.083|E|display=inline, title}}
| area_km2 = 97
| established =
| visitation_num = 148,440
| visitation_year = 2001
| governing_body = [http://www.keralaforest.org/html/general/wildlife.htm Department of Forests and Wildlife], [[Kerala#Government and administration|Government of Kerala]]
| world_heritage_site =
| url = http://www.eravikulam.org/
}}
{{Attractions near Munnar}}
'''Eravikulam National Park ''' is a 97 km2 [[national park]] located along the [[Western Ghats]] in the [[Idukki]] and [[Ernakulam district]]s of [[Kerala]] in India. Situated between 10º05'N and 10º20' north, and 77º0' and 77º10' east, (See:[https://web.archive.org/web/20150217044751/http://idukki.nic.in/map.htm map].) it is the first national park in Kerala.

Eravikulam National Park is administered by the Kerala Department of Forests and Wildlife, [[Munnar]] Wildlife Division, which also runs the nearby [[Mathikettan Shola National Park]], [[Anamudi Shola National Park]], [[Pambadum Shola National Park]], [[Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary]] and the [[Kurinjimala Sanctuary]].<ref>K.S. Sudhi (3 November 2006) The Hindu, retrieved 21 June 2007 [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930235251/http://www.hindu.com/2006/11/03/stories/2006110300820200.htm ''New lives bloom in Rajamala'']</ref>

==Geography==
The main body of the park consists of a high rolling hill [[plateau]] with a base elevation of about 2,000 m. The [[terrain]] consists of high altitude [[grassland]]s interspersed with [[shola]]s. [[Anamudi]], 2,695 meters, the highest peak in India south of the [[Himalaya]]s is inside this park. Many perennial streams criss-cross the park. They merge to form tributaries of the [[Periyar river]] in the west and of the [[Cauvery River]] in the east. See:.<ref>Eravikulam National Park – Map (2004) Nilgiri Tahr Trust, retrieved 20 June 2007 [http://www.tahrfoundation.org/html/map.htm Map]</ref> [[Lakkom Water falls]] is in this region.

==Fauna==
[[File:Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) female head.jpg|thumb|[[Nilgiri tahr]]]]
Twenty six species of [[mammals]] have been recorded in the park including the largest surviving population of [[Nilgiri tahr]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Munnar|url=http://www.keralatourism.org/destination/destination.php?id=306|access-date=21 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118183559/http://www.keralatourism.org/destination/destination.php?id=306|archive-date=18 January 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> estimated at about 750 individuals. The other [[ungulates]] are [[lion-tailed macaque]]s, [[gaur]], [[Indian muntjac]] and [[sambar deer]]. [[Golden jackal]], [[jungle cat]], [[Dhole|wild dog]], [[dhole]], [[leopard]] and tiger are the main predators. Some little-known animals such as [[Nilgiri langur]], [[stripe-necked mongoose]], [[Indian porcupine]], [[Nilgiri marten]], [[Oriental small-clawed otter|small clawed otter]], [[ruddy mongoose]], and [[Funambulus sublineatus|dusky palm squirrel]] are also found.<ref>UNEP (05/07/2007) World Commission on Protected Areas, World Database on Protected Areas, Eravikulam National Park, Retrieved 7 May 2007 {{cite web |url=http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/wdpa/sitedetails.cfm?siteid=700&level=nat |title=Archived copy |access-date=2007-07-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929140736/http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/wdpa/sitedetails.cfm?siteid=700&level=nat |archive-date=29 September 2007 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> [[Indian elephant|Elephants]] make seasonal visits.

132 species of birds have been recorded which include endemics like [[black-and-orange flycatcher]], [[Nilgiri pipit]], [[Nilgiri wood pigeon]], [[Brachypteryx major|white bellied shortwing]], [[Eumyias albicaudata|Nilgiri flycatcher]] and [[Kerala laughingthrush]].

Endemic butterflies confined to the shola-grass land ecosystem like the [[Mycalesis oculus|red disk bushbrown]] and [[Palni fourring]] are among the 101 species in the park. Other montane species include [[Colias nilagiriensis]], and the endemic [[Telinga davisoni]].

19 species of [[amphibian]]s have been recorded in the park.

===New species of frog found===
A new bright reddish-orange-coloured frog with multiple glands and extremely short limbs has been discovered in the Eravikulam National Park.
The newly discovered species is restricted to less than three km2 on the peak of [[Anamudi]] and deserves immediate conservation priority, scientists S.D. Biju of [[Delhi University]] and Franky Bossuyt of the [[Université libre de Bruxelles|Free University of Brussels]] said in ''Current Science''. The frog has been assigned the name ''[[Raorchestes resplendens]]''.<ref>The Hindu – New species of frog found in Eravikulam National Park dt. 6 May 2010 [http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article422619.ece]</ref>
This frog, as compared to all other members of the genus, has multiple prominent glandular swellings: laterally behind the eyes, on the side of the dorsum, on the anterior side of the vent, on the dorsal side of the forearms and shanks, and on the posterior side of tarsus and metatarsus. Additional distinguishing characteristics include the colour of the iris (which is bright red), and extremely short legs.<ref name=Biju>{{cite journal |author1=S.D. Biju |author2=Yogesh Shouche |author3=Alain Dubois |author4=S.K. Dutta |author5=Franky Bossuyt | year = 2010 | title = A ground-dwelling rhacophorid frog from the highest mountain peak of the Western Ghats of India | journal = Current Science | volume = 98| issue = 8 | pages = 1119–1125}}</ref>

==Flora==
[[File:Kurunji. ..jpg|thumb|Neelakurinji blooms from Eravikulam National park]]
Three major types of plant communities are found in the Park – grasslands, shrublands and forests. The terrain above 2000m is covered primarily by grasslands. However, there are numerous small patches of forests in hollows and gullies in these areas. The deeper valleys are extensively forested. Shrublands predominate along the bases of the cliffs and interspersed in rocky slab areas. The antibacterial [[Eupatorium]] glandulosum is found here. As this is monate forest vegetation many small mosses, lichen are also found here.

==History==
Prior to 1971, the area was managed as a game preserve by the [[Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company|Kanan Devan Hills Produce Company]]. The government of Kerala resumed control in 1971 (Kannan Devan Hill Produce (Resumption of lands) Act, 1971), and declared the Eravikulam-[[Rajamala]] Wildlife Sanctuary in 1975 to protect the habitat of the endangered Nilgiri tahr. It became a National Park in 1978.<ref>[http://www.eravikulam.org/managementplan.htm "Management Plan", Erivikulam National Park. Accessed 3 August 2014] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100404152119/http://www.eravikulam.org/managementplan.htm |date=4 April 2010 }}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:eravikulam 1.jpg|Trekking route in Eravikulam National Park
File:View of Munnar Mountains.jpg|View of the Munnar Mountains from the top of Eravikulam National Park
File:Nilgiri Tahr Eravikulam National Park Munnar.jpg|Nilgiri Tahr – Eravikulam National Park
File:Anamudi from Munnar Gundumalai road.jpg|Anamudi, on the right, in the Eravikulam National Park
File:Naikolli Mala near Anamudi.jpg|Naikolli Mala, near [[Anamudi]] from Eravikulam National Park
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[List of birds of South India]]
* [[Anamudi]]
* [[Munnar]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Eravikulam National Park}}
{{Protected areas of Kerala}}
{{National Parks of India}}
{{Kerala topics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:National parks in Kerala]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1978]]
[[Category:South Western Ghats montane rain forests]]
[[Category:Wildlife sanctuaries of the Western Ghats]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Idukki district]]
[[Category:Geography of Idukki district]]
[[Category:1978 establishments in Kerala]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Kerala]]

Eravikulam National Park - Revision history

>WikiCleanerBot at 12:41, 27 May 2021