Periyar National Park

Coordinates: 9°34′39″N 77°10′48″E / 9.5775°N 77.1800°E / 9.5775; 77.1800
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Periyar National Park
Kochi
Coordinates9°34′39″N 77°10′48″E / 9.5775°N 77.1800°E / 9.5775; 77.1800
Area350 km2 (140 sq mi)
Established1934-1950 (As Nellikkaampetty Game sanctuary), 1950-present(As Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary)
Visitors180,000 (in 1986)
Governing bodyGovt of India & Department of Forests and Wildlife (Kerala)

Field Director: Sri. Georgi P Mathechan

Deputy Director: Smt. Silpa V. Kumar

Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (PNP) is a protected area located in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta in Kerala, India. It is notable as an elephant reserve and a tiger reserve. The protected area encompasses 925 km2 (357 sq mi), of which 305 km2 (118 sq mi) of the core zone was declared as the Periyar National Park in 1982. The park is a repository of rare, endemic, and endangered flora and fauna and forms the major watershed of two important rivers of Kerala: the Periyar and the Pamba.

The park is located high in the

Kochi.[1]

History

tiger reserve
Periyar Lake

The first official action towards the conservation of wildlife and biodiversity in Kerala was taken in 1934 by the Maharaja of Travancore, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, by declaring the forests around Periyar lake as a private reserve to stop the encroachment of tea plantations. It was founded as Nellikkampatty Reserve. It was consolidated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1950 after the political integration of India. The sanctuary was included in Project Tiger, a Central Government initiative, and was renamed the Periyar Tiger Reserve in 1978. [2]

Geography

The misty mountain ranges of the Periyar region

Periyar National Park lies in the middle of a mountainous area of the Cardamom Hills. In the north : The boundary commences from the point nearest to the Medaganam in the interstate boundary up to Vellimalai. and the east Thence the boundary follows the inter-state boundary from Vellimalai to Kallimalai Peak (G.O. (P) No.65/2003/F&WLD dated Thiruvananthapuram, 20 December 03) (1615 M) it is bounded by mountain ridges of over 1,700 m (5,600 ft) altitude and toward the west it expands into a 1,200 m (3,900 ft) high

Periyar and Pamba Rivers originate in the forests of the reserve, both in Mlappara.[3]
The other prominent peaks within the park are Pachayarmala, Vellimala, Sunderamala, Chokkampetti mala and Karimala.[4] The topography consists of steep and rolling hills which are thickly wooded. The sanctuary surrounds Periyar Lake, a reservoir measuring 31 km2 (12 sq mi),[5] which was formed when the Mullaperiyar Dam was erected in 1895. The reservoir and the Periyar River meander around the contours of the wooded hills, providing a permanent source of water for the local wildlife.

Climate

The temperature varies depending upon the altitude and it ranges between 15 °C in December and January and 31 °C in April and May. Annual precipitation is between 2000 and 3000 mm, about two-thirds occurring during the

northeast monsoon
between October and December. Summers are warm with some precipitation in April and winters are cold.

Boundaries

  • North: The boundary commences from the point nearest to the Medaganam in the interstate boundary up to Vellimalai.
  • East: Thence the boundary follows the inter-state boundary from Vellimalai to Kallimalai Peak (1615 M)
  • South: Thence the boundary follows along the main ridge to Chokkampettymalai Peak (1805 M). Thence along the main ridge to Udumalai (1594 M) (the same boundary which divides Ranni Forest Division and existing Periyar Tiger Reserve).
  • West:Thence the boundary proceeds due north along the main ridge dividing Periyar Tiger Reserve and Ranni Forest Division to Manikamalai and thence along the ridge to Sundaramalai 1813 M from Sundaramalai the boundary runs along the main ridge to Mangaladevi top 1737 M, and thence to Pachimalai top 1805 M from Puchimala top the boundary follows the Nallah in itself bank, Nallah coming from Mannarkavala and then proceed along Cherakottai river till it joins the Periyar lake between Pandaravara-malai and Poupara.[6]
Dense riverine forest in Periyar National Park

Flora

Spider flower
(Cleome hassleriana) in the park
Submerged trees in Periyar Lake

The park is made up of

orchids have been recorded within the park.[7]
The grasses are found in the open grasslands found on the edges of the water bodies and montane habitats where fire resistant vegetation grows and dense grasses like elephant grass are found. Various herbivores such as sambar, Asian elephants, gaur and wild boar have been observed to graze here.

Forests found here are composed of deciduous, evergreen and semi evergreen trees like teak, rosewoods, terminalia, sandalwoods, mangoes, jamun, tamarind, banyans, sacred fig, kino tree, bamboos, Diospyros bourdillonii, Hopea parviflora, Dipterocarpus indicus, Semecarpus travancoricus and the only south Indian conifer, Nageia wallichiana. The medicinal gloriosa lily grows in the park. The endemic flora includes Habenaria periyarensis and Syzygium periyarense.[7]

The park is surrounded by agricultural regions, especially plantations of such crops as tea, cardamom, and coffee.[7]

Fauna

Herd of Indian bison or gaur, at the Periyar Lake.
An adult Nilgiri langur in the Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

Mammals

Thirty-five species of mammals have been recorded in the park, including many threatened species. It is an important tiger and elephant reserve. A total of 40 Bengal tigers were counted across 925 square kilometers of the park in 2017.[9] It is valuable for Asian elephant and also for a few of white tigers found here. Other mammals include the gaur, sambar, wild pig, Indian giant squirrel, Travancore flying squirrel, jungle cat, Dhole, sloth bear, Nilgiri tahr, lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, Salim Ali's fruit bat, stripe-necked mongoose, and Nilgiri marten.[10]

Birds

About 266 species of birds can be seen in the park, including migrants. Endemic birds include the Malabar grey hornbill, Nilgiri wood pigeon, blue-winged parakeet, Nilgiri flycatcher, crimson-backed sunbird, and white-bellied redstart, and black-necked stork.[11] A four-day survey was conducted on 1–4 December 2016, organised under the aegis of the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) and found the presence of 13 new bird and 16 butterfly species that were undetected earlier. The newly found bird species included Eurasian woodcock (

Acrocephalus agricola).[12]

Reptiles (reptilia)

There are 45 species of reptiles - 30 snakes, 13 lizards, and two turtles. Snakes include the

Malabar pit viper, and striped coral snake
.

Bicolored frog (Malabar frog) Clinotarsus curtipes

Amphibians

Amphibians in the park include caecilians, frogs, and toads. Species include the Malabar gliding frog, Asian toad, fungoid frog, and bicolored frog.[13]

Fish

About 40 species of fish are found in the local lakes and rivers. These include the

channa barb, and Travancore loach.[14]

Insects

Mycalesis patnia junonia in Periyar National Park
Hemicordulia asiatica in Periyar National Park

There are about 160

Travancore evening brown, which can only be found in cane brakes, various kinds of uncommon Mycalesis species (the bushbrowns), some of which are endemic to the Western Ghats, and many kinds of moths, such as the Southern Atlas moth.[15] A survey jointly conducted by the Periyar Tiger Conservation Foundation, Indian Dragonfly Society and the Forest and Wildlife Department in October 2017 found 77 species of odonata including Asian emerald (Hemicordulia asiatica).[16][17] A survey jointly conducted by the same team in September 2018 found eight more new species.[18]

A Nephila Pilipes spider also known as the Northern Golden Orb Weaver or the Giant Golden Orb Weaver found in the Park

Timeline

  • 1895 – Construction of the Mullaperiyar Dam
  • 1899 – Formation of the Periyar Lake Reserve
  • 1933 – S.C.H. Robinson made the first game warden
  • 1934 – Formation of Nellikkampatty Game Sanctuary
  • 1950 – Consolidation of Periyar as a
    wildlife sanctuary
  • 1978 – Declaration of Periyar as a tiger reserve
  • 1982 – Preliminary notification of the core area as a national park
  • 1991 – Brought under Project Elephant
  • 1996 – India Eco-development Project launched
  • 2001 – Divided into Periyar East and Periyar West
  • 2004 – Formation of Periyar Foundation
  • 2007 – 148 km2 of the Goodrical Range added to the reserve[1]
  • 2011 – The management of Periyar Tiger Reserve has been assessed as "very good" by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.[19]
  • 2012 - An additional 148 km2 of evergreen forest at Ponnambalamedu added to the reserve[20]

Ecosystem valuation

It is estimated that the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) provides flow benefits worth 17.6 billion rupees (1.9 lakh (190,000)/ hectare) annually. Important ecosystem services included gene-pool protection (7.86 billion), water provisioning to districts of Tamil Nadu (4.05 billion), habitat and refugia for wildlife (3.55 billion), employment generation for local communities (25 million), water purification services to nearby towns and districts (483 million) and recreation value (425 million).[21]

Gallery

  • Dholes in the park
    Dholes in the park
  • Landscape
    Landscape
  • A boat cruise on Periyar Lake
    A boat cruise on Periyar Lake
  • Entrance to the Information Centre
    Entrance to the Information Centre

See also

Films

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Periyar National Park.
  1. ^ a b Welcome to Periyar Tiger Reserve, Periyar Tiger Reserve, 2012, archived from the original on 3 November 2019, retrieved 31 January 2012
  2. ^ "History". Kerala Tourism.org. Government of Kerala. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  3. ^ Periyar Tiger Reserve - UNESCO World Heritage site, Periyar Tiger Reserve, 2021, archived from the original on 12 August 2021, retrieved 12 August 2021
  4. ^ "STUDIES ON THE FLORA OF PERIYAR TIGER RESERV" (PDF). India: Kerala Forest Research Institute. 1998. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  5. ^ Periyar River, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016, archived from the original on 20 October 2021, retrieved 12 August 2021
  6. ^ (G.O. (P) No.65/2003/F&WLD dated Thiruvananthapuram, 20 December 03)
  7. ^ a b c d Flora - Periyar Tiger Reserve. Archived 19 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Department of Tourism, Kerala.
  8. ^ https://docs.kfri.res.in/KFRI-RR/KFRI-RR150.pdf Archived 12 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine [bare URL PDF]
  9. ^ "35 tigers at Periyar Tiger Reserve: Survey". The Times of India. 6 January 2017.
  10. ^ Mammals - Periyar Tiger Reserve. Archived 19 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Department of Tourism, Kerala.
  11. ^ Birds - Periyar Tiger Reserve. Archived 19 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Department of Tourism, Kerala.
  12. ^ "New bird, butterfly species found in PTR". The Hindu. 5 December 2016. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  13. ^ Reptiles and amphibians - Periyar Tiger Reserve. Archived 19 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Department of Tourism, Kerala.
  14. ^ Fish - Periyar Tiger Reserve. Archived 19 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Department of Tourism, Kerala.
  15. ^ Butterflies and moths - Periyar Tiger Reserve. Archived 19 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Department of Tourism, Kerala.
  16. ^ "Survey finds surprise sighting of Indian Emerald dragonfly". The Hindu. 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 20 December 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  17. ^ "Kerala: Endemic dragonfly species reported after 80 years at Periyar reserve". 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  18. ^ "Eight new species of dragonflies found in Kerala". Manorama Online. 10 September 2018. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  19. ^ Sudhi, K. S. Acclaim for Periyar, Parambikulam tiger reserves. The Hindu 17 May 2011.
  20. ^ Pillai, P. T. M. Ponnambalamedu comes under Periyar Tiger Reserve. IBNLive.com India, 28 January 2012.
  21. ^ http://21tiger.zslsites.org/assets/21tiger/Resources/NTCA_Report2015.pdf Archived 1 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine [bare URL PDF]

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Periyar_National_Park&oldid=1213227520"