Eravikulam and Dachigam named Top National Parks in India
With this prestigious fear, the park proves it's a natural national treasure. The evaluation used international IUCN-WCPA standards to review 438 protected forest areas across India, highlighting Kerala as a top performer in managing its national parks.
Eravikulam shares the top spot with Dachigam National Park, leaving behind some 438 protected regions across the globe. The park's stellar performance shows its successful anti-poaching measures, disabled‑friendly infrastructure, carbon‑negative initiatives, and scientific management strategies .
Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod Krishnan called the prestigious award as a 'fitting tribute' to the park's commitment to conservation over the last 50 years!
Unique features of the park include:
Nilgiri Tahr
Sanctuary
: Not many must be aware of the fact that the park is home to some 750–800 endangered Nilgiri Tahr. It is home to half of the global population of these mountain goats! Can you imagine?
Neelakurinji Bloom
: The next big thing about this park is that rolling hills come alive once every 12 years when the Neelakurinji flowers (Strobilanthes kunthianus). Another bloom is expected in 2030. It's a rare view!
Anamudi Peak
: Eravikulam is also home to South India's highest peak, Anamudi (2,695 m).
The park is surrounded by unique high-altitude grasslands and mosaic shola forests—a biodiversity hotspot rich in endemic flora and fauna.
Accessibility
: The park also happens to be Kerala's first disabled‑friendly and carbon‑negative national park. With a ferry system, visitor centers, solar-powered amenities, a fernarium, and accessible trails, the park balances both tourism and conservation.
Best Time to Visit
: April–May & Sep–Nov—ideal for wildlife
Entry Fee
: ₹200 (Indians), ₹500 (foreigners); mobile-ticketing ensures smooth operations
Guided Trails
: Rajamalai safari, Kurinji Trail
The MEE report not only applauds Eravikulam's present management but underscores replicable practices: wildlife sanitation, corridor restoration, community engagement, and conflict mitigation. Such comprehensive conservation frameworks are proposed for emulation across other protected areas
Eravikulam and Dachigam's recognition as India's best national park reaffirms the transformative power of science-led and sustainable park management.
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Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Eravikulam and Dachigam named Top National Parks in India
In a splendid feat of natural excellence, Eravikulam National Park in Kerala has been ranked the top national park in India! The park scored 92.97% in the Union Ministry's recent Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) for the 2020–25 cycle. With this prestigious fear, the park proves it's a natural national treasure. The evaluation used international IUCN-WCPA standards to review 438 protected forest areas across India, highlighting Kerala as a top performer in managing its national parks. Eravikulam shares the top spot with Dachigam National Park, leaving behind some 438 protected regions across the globe. The park's stellar performance shows its successful anti-poaching measures, disabled‑friendly infrastructure, carbon‑negative initiatives, and scientific management strategies . Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod Krishnan called the prestigious award as a 'fitting tribute' to the park's commitment to conservation over the last 50 years! Unique features of the park include: Nilgiri Tahr Sanctuary : Not many must be aware of the fact that the park is home to some 750–800 endangered Nilgiri Tahr. It is home to half of the global population of these mountain goats! Can you imagine? Neelakurinji Bloom : The next big thing about this park is that rolling hills come alive once every 12 years when the Neelakurinji flowers (Strobilanthes kunthianus). Another bloom is expected in 2030. It's a rare view! Anamudi Peak : Eravikulam is also home to South India's highest peak, Anamudi (2,695 m). The park is surrounded by unique high-altitude grasslands and mosaic shola forests—a biodiversity hotspot rich in endemic flora and fauna. Accessibility : The park also happens to be Kerala's first disabled‑friendly and carbon‑negative national park. With a ferry system, visitor centers, solar-powered amenities, a fernarium, and accessible trails, the park balances both tourism and conservation. Best Time to Visit : April–May & Sep–Nov—ideal for wildlife Entry Fee : ₹200 (Indians), ₹500 (foreigners); mobile-ticketing ensures smooth operations Guided Trails : Rajamalai safari, Kurinji Trail The MEE report not only applauds Eravikulam's present management but underscores replicable practices: wildlife sanitation, corridor restoration, community engagement, and conflict mitigation. Such comprehensive conservation frameworks are proposed for emulation across other protected areas Eravikulam and Dachigam's recognition as India's best national park reaffirms the transformative power of science-led and sustainable park management.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- New Indian Express
Eravikulam ranked India's best national park
KOCHI: In a major recognition for Kerala's conservation efforts, the Eravikulam National Park in Munnar has been ranked the best among all national parks in India, as per the Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) 2020–25 conducted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Eravikulam scored an impressive 92.97%, sharing the top rank with Dachigam National Park in Jammu & Kashmir. The MEE was conducted across 438 Protected Areas in the country over multiple phases by expert panels, following global criteria laid down by the IUCN and the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). Evaluations were based on 32 parameters grouped under six key aspects of conservation management, a release said here. Notably, Kerala emerged as the only state to receive a 'Very Good' rating, with a total score of 76.22%, outpacing states like Karnataka (74.24%), Punjab (71.74%), and Himachal Pradesh (71.36%), which were rated 'Good.' Two other protected areas from Kerala's Munnar Wildlife Division also made it to the top tier: Mathikettan Shola National Park (90.63%) and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (89.84%). The 97 Eravikulam Park, located in the high-altitude shola-grassland ecosystem of the southern Western Ghats, is home to the largest surviving population of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr, and is known for its rare kurinji flowers (Strobilanthes kunthianus), which bloom once every 12 years. The evaluation praised the park for its eco-tourism model built on strong community participation, its clean management, and its innovative use of technology. Eravikulam also hosts India's first Virtual Reality Nature Education Centre, allowing visitors to experience biodiversity without entering sensitive habitats. The park includes an interpretation centre, orchidarium, fernery, and segregated tourism zones to ensure minimal ecological disruption. Highlighting the achievement, Kerala's Forest and Wildlife Minister A K Saseendran congratulated 'officers and staff across the Forest Department who worked tirelessly for this.' Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod G Krishnan noted that the recognition was especially meaningful as Eravikulam celebrates its Golden Jubilee this year. The Western Ghats landscape—linking multiple protected areas across Kerala and Tamil Nadu—is described in the report as a critical biodiversity corridor. The Eravikulam model, it concludes, demonstrates how conservation, tourism, and local communities can coexist without compromising ecological integrity.
The Hindu
16-06-2025
- The Hindu
Kerala may soon have a butterfly sanctuary
Kerala hopes to dedicate a wildlife sanctuary to butterflies. The State Board for Wildlife, which is likely to meet this week, would consider a proposal from the State Forest Department to rename the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary as Aralam Butterfly Sanctuary. If approved, this would be the first sanctuary dedicated to the winged insects. The State has a sanctuary dedicated to Pea Fowl, the Choolannur Pea Fowl Sanctuary in Palakkad, and one for Neelakurinji, the Kurinjimala Sanctuary. Thettekad and Mangalavanam are the other two bird sanctuaries of the State. The natural environment of the Aralam sanctuary sets the stage for the annual mass migration of the Common Albatross butterflies. The migration of butterflies, which begins around the last week of December, continues up to February. Hundreds of butterflies migrate from the higher reaches of the sanctuary to the plains, following streams and rivers. The migration typically begins around 10 a.m. and continus till 3 p.m. on all days during the period. The highest concentration of butterflies was recorded this year at Ramachithodu, emanating from Ramachifalls, with over 5,000 Common Albatross butterflies counted within a five-minute span, said Muhamed Jafer Palot, a wildlife expert of the Zoological Survey of India. Butterfly enthusiasts have been tracking the mass migration of the species for the last 25 years. Volunteers located at strategic vantage points count the butterflies. It's estimated that around four lakh butterflies have thus hit the migration route this year, he said. Besides the Albatross species, the migration of mixed Danaine species has also been recorded from the sanctuary, according to the Forest department. Surveys had earlier recorded the presence of 81% of butterflies found in the State in the sanctuary. Of the 327 species of butterflies recorded in Kerala, 266 species have been documented within 55 sq km of the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary. Among them, 27 species are endemic to the Western Ghats with six species listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, according to a document prepared by the department. The department hopes to recognise the exceptional butterfly diversity and the unique Albatross migration event by renaming the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary as Aralam Butterfly Sanctuary. The renaming would also honour the efforts to protect the unique butterfly species and habitats apart from promoting butterfly-based niche ecotourism activities that would also benefit the local communities, according to the document.
