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32-600: Guindy National Park is a protected area , located in Chennai , India. Spread across 2.70 km (1.04 sq mi), it is one of the smallest National Parks in India and one of the few national parks situated inside a metropolitan area . The park is an extension of the grounds surrounding Raj Bhavan , the official residence of the Governor of Tamil Nadu and encloses forests, scrub lands, lakes and streams. The park has

64-962: A 17.26 km enclave of dry evergreen forest, as well as tidal wetlands and mangroves . Other coastal preserves in the region include Vettangudi Bird Sanctuary (30 km ) in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary (160 km ) on Pulicat Lake in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh , and Pichavaram reserve in Cuddalore district . Since the 1973, the Auroville Foundation has undertaken restoration of dry evergreen forest at Pitchandikulam in Auroville , near Pondicherry . The forest covers 28 ha (70 acres), and includes many native plants collected from nearby remnant forests and propagated in their nursery. In 2003

96-666: A certain degree of protection and was one of the last remnants of the natural habitats that typify the natural range of plant and animal biodiversity of the Coromandel coastal plains in the northeastern Tamil Nadu. The park has a tropical climate with mean annual temperatures of 32.9 °C (91.2 °F) (maximum) and 24.3 °C (75.7 °F) (minimum). Rainfall ranges from 522 mm (20.6 in) to 2,135 mm (84.1 in), with an average annual rainfall of 1,215 mm (47.8 in). The summer season in April and May determines

128-484: A fossilized tree specimen which is estimated to be about 20 million years old and has a statue of a Tyrannosaurus at the entrance. In December 2019, an augmented reality (AR) show with a capacity of 20 persons was opened to public. Entry into this protected reserve is restricted, and visitors can go into the core area only when escorted by a forest ranger from the Forest Department. The children's park and

160-458: A role in both ex situ and in situ conservation and is home to a variety of species including a wide variety of snakes , geckos , tortoises , over 130 species of birds, 14 species of mammals including 400 blackbucks , 2,000 spotted deer , 24 jackals , over 60 species of butterflies and spiders each and other invertebrates . These are free-ranging fauna that live with minimal interference from human beings. Guindy Snake Park , formerly

192-858: Is an ecoregion of southeastern India . The ecoregion includes the coastal region behind the Coromandel Coast on the Bay of Bengal , between the Eastern Ghats and the sea. It covers eastern Tamil Nadu , part of Puducherry and south eastern Andhra Pradesh . The East Deccan dry evergreen forests lie in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats , which block the rain-bearing summer southwest monsoon . The ecoregion covers an area of 25,500 square kilometers (9,800 sq mi), extending from Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu to Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh. Most of

224-440: Is home to about 9 species of amphibians. There are also many kinds of reptiles , including saw-scaled viper and the fan-throated lizard. Some species of tortoise and turtles—especially the endangered star tortoise , lizards , geckos , chameleons and the common Indian monitor lizard —are found here, as well as a large variety of insects including 60 species of spiders and 60 species of butterflies. Guindy Snake Park , formerly

256-483: Is home to the metropolis of Chennai (Madras), and a number of other cities, including Pondicherry , Thanjavur , Kanchipuram and Nellore . It is estimated that 95% of the original forest cover has been cleared, and the species composition of the remaining forests have been altered by intensive human use including the removal of all the taller trees. Unlike most of the world's tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, whose trees tend to lose their leaves during

288-1458: Is one conservation reserve at Tiruvidaimarudur in Thanjavur district . There are two zoos recognised by the Central Zoo Authority of India namely Arignar Anna Zoological Park and Madras Crocodile Bank Trust , both located in Chennai . The state has other smaller zoos run by local administrative bodies such as Coimbatore Zoo in Coimbatore , Amirthi Zoological Park in Vellore , Kurumpampatti Wildlife Park in Salem , Yercaud Deer Park in Yercaud , Mukkombu Deer Park in Tiruchirapalli and Ooty Deer Park in Nilgiris . There are five crocodile farms located at Amaravati in Coimbatore district , Hogenakkal in Dharmapuri district , Kurumbapatti in Salem district , Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in Chennai and Sathanur in Tiruvannamalai district . East Deccan dry evergreen forests The East Deccan dry evergreen forests

320-574: Is one of the largest wetlands in peninsular India, and is deemed a wetland of national and international importance by the IUCN . It is a seasonal wetland, with a gradient from freshwater to brackish water, and is an important feeding and breeding ground on migratory bird flyway. It is currently threatened by encroachment by agricultural fields, wildlife poaching, loss of the surrounding forests, and increases in commercial prawn farming . Annual rainfall in this ecoregion ranges between 1000 mm and 1800 mm, while

352-419: Is predominantly Memecylon umbellatum , with Pterospermum canescens , Diospyros ebenum , Drypetes sepiaria , Aglaia elaeagnoidea , Pongamia pinnata , Azadirachta indica , Walsura trifoliolata , Calophyllum inophyllum , and Albizia amara . The density of trees in the forest stands ranges from 953 to 1357 stems (of girth greater than 20 cm at breast height) per hectare. 6-8 percent of

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384-537: Is protected by a perimeter wall for a length of 9.5 km (5.9 mi). There is an extensive network of roads and trails. The road network covers about 14 km (8.7 mi) within the park. The park has two large tanks, namely, Kathan Kollai and Appalam Kolam, in addition to two ponds, which usually dry up during summer. The park has a dry evergreen scrub and thorn forest , grasslands and water bodies with over 350 species of plants including shrubs, climbers, herbs and grasses and over 24 variety of trees, including

416-648: The Marakkanam reserve forest includes the three forest areas of Marakkanam, Kurumpuram, and Agaram. The sacred grove of Marakkanam preserves a section of evergreen closed canopy forest. Kurumpuram forest (12º4’N-79º44’E) was designated a reserve forest in 1960, but has suffered degradation from timber poaching, firewood harvesting, and hunting wild animals. Several other temple groves in the area around Puducherry, including Puthupet , Pillaichavadi, Mudaliarchavadi, and Kottakarai , preserve small enclaves of forest. The Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary protects

448-621: The dhole ( Cuon alpinus ), sloth bear ( Melursus ursinus ) and Indian spotted chevrotain ( Moschiola indica ). Two percent of the ecoregion lies in reserves and protected areas. Another 6% is forested but unprotected. Many forest areas are very small, and include temple groves and reserved forests. Protected areas include Guindy National Park in Chennai District , and Nanmangalam , and Vandalur reserve forests in Kanchipuram District . In Villupuram District,

480-516: The sugar-apple , Atlantia monophylla , wood-apple , and neem . The region's physiognomy occurs as discontinuous or dense scrub-woodlands and thickets, containing species such as introduced Acacia planifrons , Clausena dentata shrubs, palmyrah palm ( Borassus flabellifer ), Randia dumetorum , Randia malabarica , Carissa spinarum , Acacia chundra , exotic cactus Cereus peruviana and Glycosmis mauritiana . This flora provides an ideal habitat for over 150 species of birds. About one-sixth of

512-1090: The Park, appears to have been steady or even increased in the last century. As per the census conducted on 29 February 2004, the population of the spotted deer was 2,650 including 1,743 females and 336 fawns. The census was taken in the Guindy National Park and the adjoining areas using the transect method, which would only reveal the numbers close to the actual figure. The park has over 150 species of birds including grey partridge , crow pheasant , parrot , quail , paradise flycatcher , black-winged kite , honey buzzard , pariah kite , golden-backed woodpecker , yellow-wattled lapwing , red-wattled lapwing , blue-faced malkoha , shrikes , Asian koel , minivets , munias , parakeet , tailor bird , robin , drongo , and stone curlew . Bird watchers anticipate migratory birds here like teals , garganeys , pochards , medium egrets , large egrets , night herons , pond herons and open-billed storks every fall season. The park

544-546: The area and a residence called the Guindy Lodge was built by Governor William Langhorne (1672–1678) for recreation. The remaining of the forest area was owned by Gilbert Rodericks, from whom it was purchased by the Government of Madras in 1821 for a sum of ₹ 35,000. The original area of 505 ha (1,250 acres) was established as a Reserve Forest in 1910. Between 1961 and 1977, about 172 ha (430 acres) of

576-451: The direction of then Prime Minister of India , Jawaharlal Nehru . Memorials for Rajaji and Kamaraj were built in 1974 and 1975, respectively, from parcels of land acquired from the reserve. In 1977, the remaining forest area was transferred to the Forest Department and in 1978, it was declared a national park. It was walled off from the adjacent Raj Bhavan and IIT Madras in the late 1980s. The Guindy National Park had historically enjoyed

608-681: The dry season to conserve moisture, the East Deccan dry evergreen forests retain their leaves year round. Only two other ecoregions exhibit a similar pattern, the Sri Lanka dry-zone dry evergreen forests and the Southeastern Indochina dry evergreen forests . The ecoregion is home to two important wetlands, Kaliveli Lake in Viluppuram District of Tamil Nadu, and Pulicat Lake north of Chennai. Kaliveli Lake

640-700: The ecoregion remains in forest, which is found in isolated pockets. Most of the ecoregion's forests have been degraded into tropical dry evergreen scrublands, characterized by thorny species such as Ziziphus glaberrima , Dichrostachys cinerea , Catunaregam spinosa , and Carissa spinarum . The plant community of remnant dry evergreen forest patches in sacred groves includes rare evergreen species such as Polyalthia suberosa , Aglaia elaeagnoidea , and Pamburus missionis , besides medicinal herbs like Hemidesmus indicus , Gloriosa superba , Andrographis paniculata , Dioscorea oppositifolia , and Tinospora cordifolia . Mammals found in this ecoregion include

672-1076: The erstwhile Maharajas of the princely states. Mudumalai National Park was established in 1940 and was the first modern wildlife sanctuary in South India. The protected areas are administered by the Ministry of Environment and Forests of Government of India and the Tamil Nadu Forest Department . There are three Biosphere Reserves in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu has five National Parks covering 307.84 km (118.86 sq mi). Tamil Nadu has 18 wildlife sanctuaries . There are five declared elephant sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu as per Project Elephant . Tamil Nadu participates in Project Tiger and has five declared tiger reserves . There are seventeen declared bird sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu. There

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704-544: The flagship species of the park, was introduced in 1924 by Lord Willingdon and has seen a population decline in recent times. It is now known that both Blackbucks and Chitals were a native faunal element of the park. Some albino male blackbucks were also introduced by the Maharaja of Bhavnagar. Per the census conducted on 29 February 2004, the population of Blackbuck was 405 (10 spotted in the IIT campus). The chital population in

736-638: The forest, was transferred to various government departments in order to build educational institutions and memorials. In 1958, a portion of the forest area was transferred to the Union Education Ministry for establishing the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT). In the same year, a portion of the land was transferred to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department for creating the Guindy Deer Park and Children's Park under

768-604: The forests over the centuries has mostly eliminated the deciduous canopy species, and the ecoregion's remaining forests are now characterized by areas of leathery-leaved evergreen forest, with a relatively low (10-meter) closed canopy. Predominant species are Manilkara hexandra , Mimusops elengi , Ceylon ebony ( Diospyros ebenum ), strychnine tree ( Strychnos nux-vomica ), Eugenia spp., Drypetes sepiaria , and Flacourtia indica . Across 75 sites of tropical dry evergreen forests, one study enumerated 149 woody plant species, including 102 trees, 47 lianas, and 3 herbs, with

800-415: The location of Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Children's Park are located next to the park in the same premises. As of 2007, the parks had 700,000 annual visitors. Covering an area of 5 km (1.93 sq mi), the park was one of the last remnants of tropical dry evergreen forest along the Coromandel Coast and was originally a game reserve . In the early 1670s, a garden space was carved out of

832-745: The location of Madras Crocodile Bank Trust , is next to the Guindy National Park. The Snake Park gained statutory recognition as a medium zoo from the Central Zoo Authority in 1995. The park is located on an 22 acres (8.9 ha) area of the National Park and includes a children's park and play area. The park displays king cobra , pythons , vipers and other reptiles, animals such as black buck, sambar , spotted deer, porcupine , jackal, crocodile , common otter , rhesus monkey , bonnet monkey and common langur and birds including grey pelican , night heron, cormorant , cockatiel , parrot , mongoose , common peafowl . The children's park also exhibits

864-589: The mean annual temperature is around 27.5°C (ranging from an absolute minimum of about 17°C in January to a maximum of around 40°C in May-June). Rain mostly falls during the highly variable northeast monsoon between October and December. The original vegetation of the ecoregion consisted of forests with an understory of evergreen trees and an emergent canopy of taller deciduous trees, including Albizia amara , and Chloroxylon swietenia . Intensive human use of

896-541: The number of woody plant species per site ranging from 10 to 69 species. One study in two remnant sacred groves in this ecoregion recorded 169 angiosperm species, of which the dominant tree species were Albizia amara , A. odoratissima , Borassus flabellifer , Buchanania axillaris , Chloroxylon swietenia , Drypetes sepiaria , Ficus benghalensis , Lannea coromandelica , Lepisanthes tetraphylla , Memecylon umbellatum , Pterospermum suberifolium , and Syzygium cumini . Puthupet forest (12°05’702”N – 79° 87’ 148” E)

928-626: The park has been left as open grassland to preserve that habitat for blackbucks. Though both the species of blackbuck and spotted deer have their natural habitat in grassland, the spotted deer prefer bushes and can adjust in land covered with shrubbery. There are over 14 species of mammals including blackbuck , chital or spotted deer , jackal , small Indian civet , common palm civet , bonnet macaque , hyena , pangolin , hedgehog , common mongoose and three-striped palm squirrel . The park also has black-naped hare and several species of bats and rodents. The near threatened blackbuck , considered

960-418: The peculiar vegetation of the coast. Between June and December, wet season prevails, with dry season occurring between January and March. The area also has a cleared meadow called Polo Field measuring about 230 m (750 ft) by 160 m (520 ft) and a lake known as the 'Tangal Eri'. The presence of the park and the surrounding green areas resulted in the epithet the green lungs of Chennai . The park

992-854: The snake park have separate entrances from Sardar Patel Road next to the Adyar Cancer Institute and independent entry fees. The parks are open from 9 AM to 6 PM on all days except Tuesday. The nearest railway stations are the Kasturba Nagar MRTS station on Chennai MRTS , Guindy railway station on the Chennai Suburban Railway and Guindy metro station on the Chennai Metro . Protected areas of Tamil Nadu Protected areas in South India were created from private hunting grounds of

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1024-541: The terrain is flat and under 100 m elevation, except for small hillocks and low hills. Parts of the ecoregion occur between the Godavari-Krishna mangroves ecoregion along the coast to the east and the Deccan thorn scrub forests to the west. Much of the ecoregion is densely settled, and has been substantially altered by human activity, including agriculture, grazing, and forestry, over the centuries. The ecoregion

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