Why in the news?

  • Pampadum Shola National Park in Kerala has become a model of ecological restoration, successfully reversing decades of environmental damage by removing invasive Australian wattle trees — reviving native grasslands.

Pampadum Shola National Park

  • Situated in: Idukki district, Kerala
  • Established: 2003
  • Area: Around 1.32 sq. km — Kerala’s smallest national park
  • Part of: The Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Altitude: 1,800–2,300 metres above sea level
  • Ecology
    • Characterised by montane evergreen shola forests interspersed with grasslands.
    • Source region for several small streams feeding the Periyar River basin.
    • Forms an ecological link between Eravikulam National Park (north) and Palani Hills (east, Tamil Nadu).
    • Major fauna are  Nilgiri marten (rare and endemic), Leopards, Indian gaur (bison), Sloth bear and Indian giant squirrel.