India GOAnimals in Munnar
The animal Munnar is known for is the Nilgiri tahr, a wild mountain goat found only in these hills, and the easiest place to see it is the tourism zone of Eravikulam National Park, 13 km from town. Elephants are the other constant: they drink at Anakulam and Anayirankal and cross the estate roads at night. Drive two hours east to Chinnar and the forest turns dry, with grizzled giant squirrels in the riverside tamarinds.
Nilgiri tahr
The state animal of Tamil Nadu, although its largest population is on the Kerala side. Eravikulam National Park holds the single largest population: 841 animals in the April 2025 count. A joint Kerala-Tamil Nadu survey in April 2025 put the two-state total at roughly 2,655 to 2,668 animals; sources differ slightly on the Kerala figure.
Nilgiritragus hylocrius
Nilgiri langur
Fewer than ten thousand mature individuals are estimated to remain. It has been hunted for supposed medicinal value, which is one reason troops away from protected forest stay high and wary.
Semnopithecus johnii
Asian elephant
This has been a coexistence site for over a century, documented since about 1912. Kerala's state animal is the elephant, and on the estate roads around Munnar elephants also move at night, which is why estate traffic slows after dark.
Elephas maximus
Grizzled giant squirrel
Chinnar holds one of India's most important populations, and its whole existence here depends on riverside tamarind trees. Studies have recorded a steep decline, on the order of 78 to 85 per cent below 1990s and 2007 estimates, so it is a species to look for quietly and from a distance.
Ratufa macroura
Nilgiri marten
Only a handful of published sightings exist from Eravikulam at all, and the total population is estimated at around a thousand animals. Treat it as a bonus, never as a plan.
Martes gwatkinsii
Where to see what
Five mammals from the list above, and the places that give the best chance.
Nilgiri tahr: Eravikulam (Rajamala)
Eravikulam holds the largest single population of the tahr, 841 animals at the latest count, according to the forest department survey. In the Rajamala tourism zone the goats graze a few metres from the walking path. Vehicles stay below and you go on foot along a steadily climbing surfaced road. Entry is 8:00–14:00, and tickets can be booked on the park's official site.
Asian elephant: Anakulam and Anayirankal
At Anakulam, 40 km west of town near Mankulam, wild herds come out of the forest to drink from a mineral-rich river, a ritual recorded since about 1912; they drink rather than bathe and often stay for hours. Sightings are likeliest in the dry months and towards evening. At Anayirankal reservoir, beyond Chinnakanal, herds come down to the water early in the morning and at dusk.
Grizzled giant squirrel: Chinnar
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, 55–60 km away past Marayoor, holds one of India's most important populations, entirely dependent on the tamarind trees along the river. Numbers have fallen steeply, so look for it quietly and from a distance. Forest staff guide walks from the checkposts, including the three-hour trek to Thoovanam Falls.
Nilgiri langur
Fewer than ten thousand mature animals are estimated to remain. It was hunted for supposed medicinal value, which is one reason troops outside protected forest stay high in the canopy and wary.
Nilgiri marten
Only a handful of sightings have ever been published from Eravikulam, and the whole population is estimated at around a thousand animals. Treat it as a bonus, never as a plan.
When to go
- Eravikulam closes every year for the tahr calving season, in February and March (the official site gives 1 February to 1 April in one place). Check the reopening date on the park's site before you go.
- Chinnar lies in the rain shadow east of the Ghats, so it stays usable through the monsoon.
- Anakulam gives the best chance in the dry months, towards evening.
- Anayirankal: early morning and dusk.
The tea hills themselves are clearest from October to February; month-by-month detail is on the best time to visit Munnar.
Elephants, roads and distance
On the estate roads around Munnar elephants also move after dark, which is why traffic slows at night; if you are driving, plan to arrive before nightfall. At Anakulam villagers and herds keep a practised distance, helped by a low rope fence along the water: stay quiet, keep well back, and use no flash and no headlights.
The rest of the high-range wildlife
The shola forest and grassland around Munnar are also home to birds found nowhere else: the Kerala laughingthrush, the white-bellied sholakili, the Nilgiri wood-pigeon and the Nilgiri pipit. They have their own page: birds of Munnar.
FAQ
What wildlife can you see in Munnar?
The Nilgiri tahr at Eravikulam, wild Asian elephants at Anakulam and Anayirankal, the grizzled giant squirrel at Chinnar, and, with luck, the Nilgiri langur and the rare Nilgiri marten.
Where can I see the Nilgiri tahr near Munnar?
In the Rajamala tourism zone of Eravikulam National Park, about 13 km from town. Entry is 8:00–14:00; the park closes in February and March for the calving season, so check the reopening date on the official site.
Is the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary worth visiting?
Yes, if you want a different landscape: dry thorn forest in the rain shadow, open even in the monsoon, with grizzled giant squirrels and elephants. The guided trek to Thoovanam Falls costs about ₹250 for Indian citizens and about ₹600 for foreign nationals.
Are there wild elephants in Munnar?
Yes. Herds drink at Anakulam and Anayirankal and walk the estate roads at night, which is why traffic slows after dark.
Which town is nearest to Chinnar and Eravikulam?
Munnar for Eravikulam, 13 km away; for Chinnar the last town is Marayoor, and the sanctuary is about 60 km from Munnar.
Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
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