Anamalai Tiger Reserve

Indira Gandhi National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary Indira Gandhi NP&WLS Indira Gandhi NP&WLS (India)
IUCN category II (national park)
Location	Coimbatore, India
Nearest city	Coimbatore, India
Area	958 km²
Established	1989
Governing body	Tamil Nadu Forest Dept.

Indira Gandhi National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (IGWLS) is named after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, but is often called Topslip, a name derived from the local 19th century practice of sliding Teak timber logs down from the hills. It is located in the Annamalai Hills of Pollachi, Valparai and Udumalpet taluks of Coimbatore District, Tamilnadu state, South India.

The 108 km² National Park is the core area of the 958 km² Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, formerly called Anaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary has six administrative ranges, Pollachi: Range Head Quarters at Anamalai Farm: 109.72 km², Vaalpaarai: Water Falls: 171.50 km², Ulandy: Top Slip: 75.93 km², Amaravathi: Amaravathi Nagar: 172.50 km², Udumalpet: 290.18 km².

The Park and the Sanctuary are the core of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is under consideration by UNESCO as as part of The Western Ghats World Heritage site. The Sanctuary and the Palni Hills in Dindigul District form the Anamalai Conservation Area.

Geography

Indira Gandhi National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

Altitude ranges between 340m to 2400m above sea level. Mean annual rainfall is between 500mm in the south western fringes to 5000mm on the north east.

Tribal Communities

The IGWS has significant anthropological diversity with more than 4600 Adivasi people from six tribes of indigenous people living in 36 settlements. The tribes are the Kadars, Malasars, Malaimalasars, Pulaiyars, Muduvars and the Eravalars., .

Flora and Fauna

The park is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna typical of the South Western Ghats. There are over 2000 species plants of which about 400 species are of prime medicinal value.

Mammals in the Park include tiger, leopard, sloth bear, dhole or the Asiatic wild dog, golden jackal, leopard cat, jungle cat, rusty-spotted cat, elephant, gaur, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, mouse deer, wild pig, nilgiri langur, common langur, bonnet macaque, lion-tailed macaque, common palm civet, Small Indian Civet, Common Mongoose, Striped-necked Mongoose, Ruddy Mongoose, Smooth Indian Otter, Slender Loris, Indian Giant Squirrel Spiny Dormouse, Porcupine, Indian Pangolin, Giant Flying Squirrel and Three-striped Palm Squirrel.

IGWS is a Project Elephant sanctuary.

The Steering Committee of Project Tiger granted approval in principal to inclusion of Indira Gandhi WLS and NP and nine additional protected areas under Project Tiger.

Over 250 species of birds have been identified in the Park . Some of the most important groups include, cormorants, ducks, teal, darter, partridge, quail, jungle fowl, spur fowl, pea fowl, parakeets, hornbills, barbets, drongos, orioles, shrikes, warblers, flycatchers, woodpeckers, chloropsis, trogons, kingfishers, storks, egrets, fish eagle, hawk eagles, harriers, falcons, kites, owls and nightjars.

It is home to 15 of 16 species of birds endemic to the Western Ghats including: Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Nilgiri Pipit, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Rufous Babbler, Crimson-backed Sunbird, White-bellied Treepie, Grey-breasted Laughingthrush, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, White-bellied Shortwing, Malabar Parakeet, Black-and-orange Flycatcher, Grey-headed Bulbul, Broad-tailed Grassbird and Wynaad Laughingthrush there are unconfirmed reports of the 16th, the Nilgiri Laughingthrush found in the upper regions of the Anamalais around the estates of Vaalpaarai. If true, the sanctuary will be the first to be home to all the endemic species of Western Ghats birds.

Reptiles include toads, leaping frogs, torrent frogs, tree frogs, pythons, cobras, kraits, vipers, grass snakes, forest cane turtles, travancore tortoises, flapshells, star tortoises, flying lizards, chameleons and forest calotes.

315 species of butterflies belonging to five families have been identified in the Anamalais. 44 of them (highlighted) are endemic to the Western Ghats.

Visitor Information

The IGWLS is managed by the Wildlife Warden (Wildlife Warden Office, 178 Meenkarai Road, Pollachi, Ph: 04259-225356) and falls within the administrative control of the Coimbatore Forest Circle headed by the Conservator of Forests, Coimbatore.

Travel by road from Coimbatore to Pollachi (40 kms) to the Wildlife Warden's Office for visitor permit and then by road to Top Slip (35 km), or to Udumalpet (40 kms - Amaravathi and Udumalpet range), or to Vaalparai (65 kms - Vaalparai and Manamboly range)

The ideal months to visit the Park are May to January. Entry time is between 6 am and 6 pm. The Park has a large tourist complex at Top Slip that houses many cottages, rooms, and dormitories for visitors. Visitors can get around the park by trekking and a safari van. .