Mathikettan Shola National Park

Location and Key Facts

Mathikettan Shola National Park is located near Poopara village in Udumbanchola Taluk of Idukki district, Kerala. It was declared a National Park in 2003 and covers only 12.82 sq. km, making it one of Kerala’s smallest national parks. It forms part of the Cardamom Hill Reserve in the Western Ghats and lies between Eravikulam National Park and Pampadum Shola National Park, providing important ecological connectivity.

Geography and Ecosystem

The park represents the montane landscape of the southern Western Ghats, with elevations ranging from 1,200 to 1,984 metres. Its landscape consists of rolling hills, valleys and high-altitude plateaus, dominated by the distinctive shola–grassland ecosystem. The park also contains moist deciduous and semi-evergreen forests. Important streams such as Uchilikuthi Puzha, Mathikettan Puzha and Njandar originate here and ultimately drain into the Panniyar River, making the park an important watershed.

Historical Background

The area was first declared a Reserve Forest in 1897 by the erstwhile Travancore Government. Parts of the forest were historically leased for cardamom cultivation, some remnants of which still exist. The name “Mathikettan” means “mind confuser”, referring to local beliefs that the dense and winding forests could cause people to lose their way.

Flora and Fauna

The park supports highly diverse and endemic Western Ghats vegetation, with dense shola evergreen forests in valleys and grasslands on hilltops. It contains numerous orchids, medicinal plants and endemic flowering species.

Its fauna includes Asian Elephant, Gaur, Sambar, Nilgiri Langur, Indian Giant Squirrel, Leopard, Dhole, Nilgiri Tahr and Nilgiri Marten. The park also supports important endemic birds such as the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Black-and-Orange Flycatcher, White-bellied Blue Robin and Malabar Whistling Thrush.

Ecological Significance

The park is particularly important as a wildlife corridor for Asian Elephants, facilitating movement between forests of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Its location between Eravikulam and Pampadum Shola National Parks strengthens landscape-level connectivity. The shola–grassland ecosystem also acts as a major water regulator and carbon store, while providing habitat for numerous endemic and threatened species of the Western Ghats.

Major Conservation Challenges

The major threats include habitat fragmentation, human–wildlife conflict, private landholdings, roads and settlements, legacy cardamom plantations, and developmental pressure. Its small geographical size makes ecological connectivity with surrounding forests especially important. Climate change may further threaten the sensitive shola–grassland ecosystem.

Conservation Measures

The declaration as a National Park provides strong legal protection, while the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) helps regulate activities around the park. Conservation efforts also focus on elephant corridor protection, habitat restoration and wildlife monitoring.