Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR)

About Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR):

 

• Location: It is located in the Western Ghats of Kerala.
• It was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978.
• It gets its name from the River Periyar which has its origin deep inside the reserve.
• Two main rivers, Pamba and Periyar drain the reserve.
• It is home to many tribal communities including the Mannans and the Palians.
• Terrain: Hilly and undulating with a maximum altitude of 2016 m.
• Vegetation: It consists of tropical evergreen, semi- evergreen and moist deciduous.
• Flora:
  • There are more than 171 species of grasses.
  • Important flora includes teak, mangoes, rosewood, jamun, jacarandas, terminalias, tamarind, royal ponciana, bamboo etc.
• Fauna:
  • Includes Elephants, Wild Pigs, Sambar, Gaur, Mouse Deer, Dole or Barking Deer, Indian Wild Dog and Tiger.
  • The major four species of primates are also found at Periyar - the rare lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri Langur, Gee's Golden Langur, Common Langur and Bonnet Macaque.
  • It Is also being considered as the habitat of the elusive Nilgiri Tahr.

 

---

Q1) What is Nilgiri Tahr?

Nilgiri Tahr is the only Caprinae species found in the tropical mountains of southern.They are endemic to the Western Ghats and used to inhabit a large part of the Western Ghats between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. They are classified as Endangered under the IUCN Red List.

Source: Forest dept. embarks on project to conserve, augment fish wealth of Periyar Tiger Reserve