Eravikulam

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 and sholas, spread over 97 sq km in the Rajamalai hills.  Anamudi, the highest peak (2695 m) south of the Himalayas, towers over the sanctuary. The slopes of the hills are abound with 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 found here are the Nilgiri Langur, the liontailed macaque, leopards, tigers, etc. An ideal place for trekking, facilities are provided here and tourists are allowed to go on foot up to Anamudi.  A protected area, the sanctuary is divided into three regions  the core area, the buffer area and the tourism area. Visitors are allowed only to the tourism area, Rajamala, the region lying beyond the road entry into Eravikulam. Here one can observe the Nilgiri Tahr at close quarters.