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Tamil Nadu is a land of forests, woodlands and diverse flora and fauna which has led to the popularity of wildlife tours in the state. There sprawling forests and wildlife reserves in the state provide a wonderful habitat for a wide species of plants and animals. Tourists as well as nature lovers undertake tours to the various forests in Tamil Nadu to witness the diverse wildlife in the state.
Most of the Tamil Nadu forests have been made into various national parks, wildlife reserves and sanctuaries in order to conserve the diverse flora and fauna. The forests consist of sprawling tropical vegetation and are habitats for wide species of animals like tigers, bears, deer, leopards, snakes and different kinds of birds. Bird watching is a popular activity in the state and hundreds of bird lovers from various parts of the country come to these forests to see diverse species of birds.
Some of the well known forests in Tamil Nadu are:
Madumalai National Park: The forest has an area of 230 square kms. It is home to wide range of animals like swamp deer, wild buffalo, and leopards and has a rich vegetation of deciduous trees. The endangered Hill Maina is also found in the forest.
Annamalai Wildlife Sanctuary: Also known as the Indira Gandhi National Park, this wildlife reserve covers an area of 118 square kms. The forest consists of extensive tropical as well as deciduous vegetation. The sanctuary is an ideal habitat of animals like elephants, crocodiles, tigers, leopards, deer, python, civet cats and lots more. There are also numerous birds.
Guindy National Park: The sanctuary covers an area of 27.6 square kms and is located in the Chennai District. It was established in the year 1976 and is home to a wide species of flora and fauna. The sanctuary is famous as a habitat of the black buck and chital deer.
Apart from these, there are also other forests in Tamil Nadu where safari tours are undertaken. They are:
- Mukkurthi National Park
- Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary
- Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary
- Vallanadu Black Buck Sanctuary
- Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
- Viralimalai Wildlife Sanctuary
The Tamil Nadu an important part of the natural beauty of the state. The stunning beauty of the forests and the natural diversity matched with excellent safari tours make them idea to popularize eco tourism in the state.
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