Which of the following protected areas in Kerala is internationally acclaimed as the natural habitat of the endangered wild goat species known as the Nilgiri Tahr and is characterized by a unique Shola-grassland ecosystem?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Eravikulam National Park, located along the high ranges of the Western Ghats in Idukki district, is famous for protecting the largest surviving population of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr. Silent Valley is renowned for tropical evergreen rainforests and Lion-tailed macaques. Periyar Tiger Reserve surrounds an artificial lake and supports elephants and tigers. Mathikettan Shola protects fragmented shola forests. Eravikulam's montane grasslands interspersed with shola forests provide the exact ecological niche required by the Nilgiri Tahr.