Kudremukh National Park

One of the newest entrants in the National Park list (2 Sept, 1987), the Kudremukh National Park has been named after the eponymous peak that is shaped like a horse face. The Kudremukh town adjacent to the park is primarily an iron oremining town where the government owned Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL) operates.

Named after the Kudremukh Peak, this park is divided into four ranges Kudremukh, Kerekatte, Kalasa, Shimoga, and has a wide diversity of flora and fauna.

Placed under the Global Tiger Conservation PriorityI, the Kudremukh National Park in the Western Ghats, area of about 600 square meter of a tropical evergreen wet forest, is the chief declared Wildlife Protected Area. Kudremukh National Park is placed under the format proposed jointly by World Wide FundUSA and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

Kudremukh National Park is developed based on the report of the noted environmentalist Dr. Ullas Karanth. It was in 1987; this national park was formed in the Reserved Forests in Kudremukh. Endangered mammals and rare species are protected here in this Park, includes the three large predator species Wild dogs, Leopard and Tigers. This is the natural habitat of many other wild animals such as Common Languor, Wild Pig, sambar and Lion tailed Macaque.

The national park is dwelling to many natural attractions, which can be visited with a special permission available at the National Park.

Kudremukh means 'the face of a horse' in the local language; the hill does look horsefaced from a particular angle. The untouched beauty of this place would leave anyone spell bound. Secluded and overlooking the Arabian sea, Kudremukh's hills, valleys and rivers will ignite the photographer in you. The Kudremukh National Park has been classified under the Global Tiger Conservation Priority, under the format developed jointly by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and World Wide FundUSA. We promise, you won't feel like heading back from here! The Government declared Kudremukh region as Reserved Forest in 1916, to stop rampant slash and burn cultivation practices from penetrating deeper into the Ghats.

K. Ullas Karanth, undertook a detailed and systematic survey of the distribution of the endangered Lion Tailed Macaque in Karnataka during 198384 with support from Government of Karnataka. He observed that suitable and extensive rainforest habitat for Liontailed Macaque existed in Kudremukh and that the tract probably harboured the largest contiguous population of lion tailed macaques in the Western Ghats. He further suggested that Lion Tailed Macaques could be effectively used as a 'flagship' species to conserve the entire biotic community in the region and prepared a conservation plan for survival of wild population of Lion Tailed Macaques in the region delineating the present national park area as a proposed nature reserve. Based on his report, the Karnataka State Wildlife Advisory Board suggested to the Government that Kudremukh National Park be created. Subsequently, the first notification of the Kudremukh National Park was issued.

In 1987, the Government of Karnataka declared these Reserved Forests as a National Park based on the above suggestion.

The HorseFace Hill Station 95 kms southwest of Chikmagalur town is the Kudremukh (Horse Face) range, so named because of the unique shape of the Kudremukh Peak.

Overlooking the Arabian Sea, the broad hills are chained to one another with deep valleys and steep precipices. As yet 'undiscovered' by tourists, Kudremukh is a secluded hill station, which retains much of its pristine, natural beauty.

And a holiday here can be truly delightful. Lush green forests interspersed with rivers, grassy slopes, captivating cascades and rare orchids providing an idyllic background for trekking.

Kudremukh is trekker's territory with the richness of its flora and fauna waiting to be discovered. Situated 1,894.3 m above sea level, Kudremukh is rich in iron ore deposits.

The Kudremukh Iron Ore Company conducts mining operations and transportation of the ore as slurry, through a pipeline to the port at Panambur near Mangalore.

This has given new life to the region and converted this isolated tract into a humming modern township without taking away its natural beauty.

Location: Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Chikmagalur districts, Karnataka, and about 48 kilometer from Karkala and about 20 kilometer from Kalasa.
Kudremukh National Park STD Code: 08252