 National parks of south India are protected areas in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These national parks shelter a variety of flora and fauna of the above mentioned states and union territory. Some of these national parks are described below.
Bandipur National Park Bandipur National Park is located in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. It is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. This park provides habitat to tigers, as tiger conservation programs are an integral part of the park. It has around 70 tigers and more than 3000 Asian elephants. Other species of the park are dholes, leopards, gaurs and sloth bears. The park is known to be famous for elephants and gaurs. Teak is a common tree in Karnataka and found in abundance in the park. Other flora of the park are sandalwood trees, bamboo, odina wodier, rosewood, Indian kino tree (medicinal tree), Haldina or Kadam tree and several other deciduous trees. Bannerghatta National Park Bannerghatta National Park is located near Bengaluru in Karnataka. This park is one of the safest places for a wide variety of animals. The park covers an area of about 101 square kilometers. A portion of the vast landscape of the park has been etched out for tourism, thus making it a popular tourist attraction in Karnataka. Bannerghatta Tiger and Lion Reserve has a laudable diversity of predators like tigers and lions. 
Nagarhole National Park Nagarhole National Park is situated in Kodagu district and Mysore district of Karnataka. More specifically, the park is located in the dense wild tracts of the Western Ghats and the Nilgiri Hills and is endowed with multitudes of meandering streams and rivers. The park is located to the north west of Bandipur National Park and is comparatively less rugged. The Nagar Hole, Sarathi Hole, Lakshmanatecrtha River, Kabini River and Taraka Dam are the sources of water in the park. Masalbetta at 957 m is Nagarhole’s highest point. Nagarhole National Park is the most well organized national park in India. Some of the inmates of the park are Indian leopard, chital, ussuri dhole, sloth bear and wild boar. Silent Valley National Park Silent Valley National Park is situated in Kerala, almost 150 km away from the crowded and industrial town of Coimbatore. Even though the park was formed nearly 150 years ago, it received recognition only a few years back. It was regarded as a suitable area for building a 'hydroelectric project'. However, due to the joint initiatives of the various national as well as international forums, the forthcoming destruction of the park was prevented. Finally, an area of about 90 square kilometers was acknowledged as Silent Valley National Park. The park preserves wild creatures and has plantations. Anamudi Shola National Park Anamudi Shola National Park is located along the Western Ghats in Idukki district of Kerala. It covers a total area of around 7.5 square kilometers. The park has Mannavan shola, Idivara shola and Pullardi shola. It is administered by the Kerala Department of Forests and Wildlife, Munnar Wildlife Division. Eravikulam National Park Eravikulam National Park is situated along the Western Ghats in Idukki district of Kerala. It is barren wild habitation, about 15 km north of Munnar in Western Ghat region. More specifically, the park is in the tea industry hub of the region. The park comprises of large mountain ranges, undulating grass hills, etc. It is famous for preserving one of the world's rare species namely, the Nilgiri Tahr. 
Guindy National Park Guindy National Park is situated in Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The park was earlier a sport reserve. In the year 1958, a British citizen namely, Gilbert Rodericks owned it, before its transfer to the forest department of Tamil Nadu. The park is an expansion of the ground that is adjacent to the Raj Bhavan, the executive dwelling of the Governor of Tamil Nadu. The park has an extension deep inside the estates of the governors, with attractive woods, scrublands, water bodies and streams. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras was earlier a part of the Guindy National Park. The park has rich biodiversity. More than 30 species of trees and plants are found here. Almost centuries old, huge banyan trees are special attractions of the park. Papikonda National Park Papikonda National Park is located in East Godavari and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh and Khammam district of Telangana. It is spread over an area of about 1,012.86 square kilometers and was notified in the year 2008. The geographical terrain of Papikonda is characterized by dense forested hills, deep gorges, valleys, flowing streams and ponds. River Godavari lends beauty to this national park. Some of the animals of the park are tigers, leopards, sambar, spotted deer and bisons. This park houses both resident and migratory birds. Dry deciduous tropical forests, a variety of plants, shrubs, etc comprise the flora of this national park. Other National Parks of South India Some of the other national parks of south India are Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, Mathikettan Shola National Park, Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park, Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Palani Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park and Rani Jhansi Marine National Park. |
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National Parks of South India
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