Q. Tropical wet evergreen-type forest of the western ghats, extends to over 600 square kilometers and provides a habitat for three big carnivores- tiger, leopard, and wild dog- amongst several other species such as lion-tailed macaque. The place is also origin of three rivers- the nethravathi, the Tunga river and the Bhadra river. The above description defines which of the following national park?
The Kudremukh National Park is located at a distance of 96 km from the district of Chikmagalur in the state of Karnataka in India. Nestled in the Western Ghats, the park is spread over an area of over 600 sq km at an altitude of 1,894 m above sea level. The Kudremukh National Park derives its name from a hill top that resembles the shape of the head of a horse. The park houses four ranges named Kudremukh, Kerekatte, Kalasa, and Shimoga. The entire park is covered by thick forests with various species of flora. It is also surrounded by tea and coffee plantations. The Kudremukh National Park falls under the Global Tiger Conservation Priority-I, under the format developed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and World Wide Fund-USA. It is also the origin of three very well-known rivers – the Nethravathi, the Tunga and the Bhadra. A statue of Lord Varaha at a height of six feet can be found inside an ancient cave and a temple of goddess Bhagavathi is also present here. These attract many tourists, mainly pilgrims, here. Kudremukh National Park is home to several species of flora and fauna. Eucalyptus, casuarinas, acacia auriculiformis and Grevillea Robusta are some of the species of flora found here. Together with a wide array of wildlife consisting of tigers, leopards, wild dogs, Malabar giant squirrels, common langurs, sloth bears, gaurs, porcupines, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, jackals, giant flying squirrels and mongoose found here.
Source: ForumIAS
