Kalakkad – Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu

Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, located in the southern Western Ghats in Tirunelveli district state of Tamil Nadu, is the second-largest protected area in the state of Tamil Nadu. This tiger reserve falls within the designated areas in one of the 18 hot spots of the world, treasuring some of the least disturbed forests in the state. It covers an area of 895 sq. km and has an undulating topography with forests beginning at an elevation of 40 m above MSL, reaching up to over 1800 m at various places. Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve has been classified as a Type-1 Tiger Conservation Unit, representing tropical moist evergreen forests in the world.

There are seven major dams and reservoirs in the reserve. The reserve is home to a wide variety of animals and plants; the animals include tigers, elephants, and lion-tailed macaques. A large number of fresh water fish can be spotted in the Tamirabarani River, which flows through the reserve. Birds and insects are the other major inhabitants of the reserve.