Anamalai Tiger Reserve, earlier known as Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park, is located in the Anaimalai hills in the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu. It covers the Anaimalai Hills of Pollachi, Valparai and Udumalpet taluks of the Coimbatore District of Tamil Nadu. Sprawling over an area of 108 sq. km. the forest is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. There is also a sanctuary inside the Park, which was formerly known as the Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is spread over an area of 958 sq. km. Hills covered with dense forests, sprawling grasslands, plateaus and valleys characterize the terrain. It receives an annual rainfall of 500m to 5000 mm. Anamalai Tiger Reserve is the home of 4600 Adivasi people from six different tribes. The tribes residing here are Kadars, Malasars, Malaimalasars, Pulaiyars, Muduvars and Eravalars. The park also offers excellent trekking facilities.

Etymology of Anamalai Tiger Reserve
The park was earlier named after the former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi after her visit to this park on 7th October 1961. Main tourist zone in the national park is the Topslip located at an altitude of 350 meters to 2,400 meters above mean sea level. The zone is rich in flora and fauna. It was named so because of the local 19th century practice of sliding timber logs down the hills from here.

History of Anamalai Tiger Reserve
The area was notified as Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary in the year 1974. Three places of unique habitat of this park namely Karian Shola, Grass hills, Manjampatti Valley were notified as a national park in the year 1989. In 1855, this area came under sustainable forest management for teak plantations. The Park and the Sanctuary is under consideration by UNESCO as part of The Western Ghats World Heritage site. The Sanctuary and the Palni Hills in Dindigul District form the Aanaimalai Conservation Area.

Flora of Anamalai Tiger Reserve
The vegetation of the forest is of the mixed deciduous variety with abundant evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. Some parts of the park have semi- evergreen and wet temperate vegetation. This region contains teak, rosewood and many other tropical species.

The park has some of the rare and endangered variety of trees, which are Angiopterris Erectra, Gnetum Ula, Impaliens Elegans, Lycopodium cernum, Ranunculus Reniformis, Osmunda Regulis, Combretum Ovalifolium, Dispyros nilagrica, Gymnopteris Contaimirans, Habebarai Reriflora, Polypodum Pleroupus, Alsophila, Bulbophyllum sp, and Lasianthus uenuloses.

Fauna of Anamalai Tiger Reserve
The park also has a rich variety of fauna. Some of the wildlife variety found here are Nilgiri Tahr, Civet Cat, Elephants, Pangolin, Sambar, Barking Deer, mouse Deer, Spotted Deer, Tigers, Panthers, Wild Boar and Sloth Bear. The Park also offers splendid sight of rare wildlife animals like lion tailed macaque, Bonnet macaque, Nilgiris langur, common langur, Malabar giant squirrel and Grizzled giant squirrel etc.

The Park is also the habitat of 500 species of birds including resident and migratory birds. Some of the bird species found here are Rufus Wood Pecker, Rose Ringed Parakeet, Black Eagle, Great Indian Malabar Pied Horn Bill, Fiary Blue Bird, Green Billed Malkhoha, Black Headed Oriole, Paradise Flycatcher, Whistling Thrush, Emerald Dove, Green Pigeon, Tickell`s Flower Pecker, Cormorants, Quails, Hornbills, Orioles, Storks, Eagles and Owls, Racket Tailed Drongo, and Wynad laughing thrush.

Reptiles found in the Park are toads, leaping frogs, torrent frogs, tree frogs, pythons, cobras, kraits, vipers, grass snakes, forest cane turtles, travancore tortoises, flapshells, star tortoises, flying lizards, chameleons and forest calotes.

Visiting Information to Anamalai Tiger Reserve
The Park is easily accessible, as it is a major tourist destination. The nearest airport is at Coimbatore, which is located at a distance of 75 km. The Pollachi Railway station at a distance of 35 km is the nearest railway station. The Park is also connected by roadways. Pollachi is a large town, which is connected to the major cities of Tamil Nadu via buses.