Source: TH
Context: A faunal survey in Parambikulam Tiger Reserve recorded 15 new species, including birds, butterflies, and odonates, increasing its biodiversity checklist.
About Parambikulam Tiger Reserve:
- Location: Situated in Palakkad and Thrissur districts of Kerala, between the Anamalai Hills and Nelliampathy Hills in the Western Ghats.
- Area: Covers 643.66 sq. km, including the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary (declared in 1973, expanded in 1984) and later notified as a Tiger Reserve in 2010.
- Flora:
-
- Comprises evergreen, moist and dry deciduous forests, and grasslands.
- Home to endangered medicinal plants like Coscinium fenestratum and Utleria salicifolia (IUCN Red-listed).
- Fauna:
-
- Mammals: Lion-tailed macaques, Malabar giant squirrel, flying squirrel, leopards, elephants, Nilgiri langurs, smooth-coated otters.
- Amphibians & Fish: Endemic species like Tomopterna parambikulamana (frog) and Garra surendranathanii (sucker fish).
- Tribes Found: Indigenous tribes like Kadar, Malasar, Muduvar, and Mala Malasar inhabit the reserve in six colonies.
- Conservation Significance:
-
- A UNESCO World Heritage Site under the Western Ghats, Anamalai Sub-Cluster.
- Implements Project Tiger under the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
