Silent Valley National Park, National park in Kerala, India
Silent Valley National Park is a protected area in the Nilgiri hills of Kerala state, covering roughly 89 square kilometers (34 square miles) of unbroken tropical rainforest. The area ranges in elevation from 900 to 2,300 meters (2,950 to 7,545 feet) and shelters many mammal species, including lion-tailed macaques, Bengal tigers, and Asian elephants.
The region gained protected status in 1984 after nationwide demonstrations stopped a dam project that would have flooded large sections of the forest. The movement is now remembered as one of India's first successful environmental campaigns and helped raise awareness about preserving tropical ecosystems.
Locals refer to the valley as Sairandhri, a name drawn from the Mahabharata epic about a princess who sought refuge in these forests. Visitors often notice the quiet while walking the trails, since cicadas are genuinely absent and the forest feels unusually still.
A permit from the forest office in Mannarkkad is required before entering the protected area and can usually be issued on the same day. The best time to visit is between November and March, when trails are dry and animals are spotted more often near the rivers.
The park protects one of the last populations of the lion-tailed macaque, a monkey species found only in the Western Ghats and easily recognized by its silvery mane. Researchers have documented more than 400 bird species here, more than in most other Indian protected areas of similar size.
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