Silent-Valley-Nationalpark
The Silent Valley National Park is a national park in Kerala in southern India. It forms an important component of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and in particular is home to populations of endangered species, such as Nilgiri Tahr, Nilgiri langur and lion-tailed macaque, which are endemic in southern India.
Location, landscape and vegetation
The National Park is located in the Nilgiri Mountains in the south Indian state of Kerala. The area of the National Park is located in Palakkad District. The Silent Valley National Park is bordered on the north by the Mukurthi National Park. With this and adjacent protected areas, such as the Mudumalai National Park, Bandipur National Park or the Rajiv Gandhi National Park, it forms the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
In the hills to the north-east of the national park of Kunthipuzha, a tributary of the Bharathapuzha originates. The altitude of the park range 658-2383 m. The area is tropical and warm and rainy. The annual rainfall is about 6,000 mm. The annual average temperature is around 20 ° C. Therefore, the vegetation consists mainly of evergreen plants and is very diverse with 966 different species.
Wildlife
The National Park is home to a small population of the endangered Nilgiri Tahrs, which is restricted to the south-west of India. The total population in the national park is estimated at about 30 animals. In neighboring protected areas also exist small populations. Other threatened species and characteristic of South India the national park are the Indian yellow-throated marten, the lion-tailed macaque and the Nilgiri Langur. A census in the years 1993-1996 shows a population of about 500 Nilgiri langurs in the National Park. The reserve is also home to 22 other large and medium-sized mammal species, including large predators such as tiger, leopard, sloth bear and Asiatic Wild Dog. Among the leopard, there are also black copies. Furthermore, Asian elephants, Gaure, sambar deer, Indian Muntjakhirsche, stain Kant Chile, wild boars, jackals gold, jungle cats, Small Indian Civet, Fleckenmusangs, otters, mongooses, Hutaffen, porcupines and giant squirrel occur.