Kalakad Mundanthurai Wild Life Sanctuary

Kalakad- Mundanthurai Wild Life Sanctuary is located in the southern Western Ghats of the Tirunelveli District of the Tamil Nadu state.

Kalakad-Mundanthurai Wild Life Sanctuary is near about 45 kms away from the Tirunelveli town. This wild life reserve forms the catchments area for near about 14 rivers, which includes Tambraparani, Karayar, Servalar, Ramanandi, Manimuthar, Kodaiyar, Kadnar, Kallar, and Pachayar. This rivers forms as the back bone of the irrigation system and drinking water for people of Tirunelveli, Turicorin and some parts of the Kanyakumari district. The dams that owe their existence to these rivers include Lower Dam, Karaiyar, Servalar, Ramanadi, Kodaiyar, Kadnandi, and Karaiyar. The forest types being included in the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Wild Life Sanctuary are tropical evergreen forest, Tirunelveli Semi Evergreen Forests, tropical evergreen forests, dry teak forests, southern dry mixed deciduous forests, Carnatic umbrella thorn forests, ochalandra reeds, southern moist mixed deciduous forests, tropical riparian fringe forests, high low attitude grasslands and many more.

The main species of Mammals include Elephants, Gaur, Mousem rusty spotted Cat, Tiger, Brown palm civet, leopard, Sambhar, Spotted Deer, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Nilgiris Langur, Bonnet Macaque, Slender Loris, Lion Tailed Macaque, Sloth Bear, Brown Mongoose, Indian Pangolin, Niligiri Martin and many more. The birds found at Kalakad-Mundanthurai Wild Life Sanctuary includes Ceylon mouth frog, Great Pied Hornbill, Grey Headed bulbul, Great Indian Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Broad Tailed Grass Warbler, Oriental Bay owl and many more. The reptile found at Kalakad-Mundanthurai Wild Life Sanctuary includes King Cobra, Monitor Lizard, Flying Lizard, Python, Pit Viper etc.

The major objective of Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) management is the conservation of Bio diversity in all the respects in the years to come. This Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger reserve has a large number of employees of electricity board and the Public works department. This employees stay in colonies and also work at Upper dam, Karayar, and Upper Kodayar reservoirs. However, there are also other small estates and five tribal inhabitations here. Moreover, some people also own their cattle's.

So, visit Kalakad-Mundanthurai Wild Life Sanctuary and experience the wilderness at its best!