• In order to prevent wildfire fire lines have been constructed in the Mukurthi National Park

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• Mukurthi National Park Situated in the western corner of Nilgiris Plateau in the Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu, Mukurthi National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site(2012) and was formerly known as Nilgiri Tahr National Park.
• The Park is sandwiched between the Mudumalai National Park and the Silent Valley National park.
• The park is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India’s first International Biosphere Reserve.
• Spread across the area of 78.46 sq km, this protected area was established with the prime motive of conservation of its keystone species, the Nilgiri Tahr
• It is home to Barking Deer, Jungle Cat, Panther, Wild Dogs, Indian Elephant, Indian Leopard, Jackal etc
• The park is characterized by montane grasslands and shrublands interspersed with sholas in a high altitude area of high rainfall, near-freezing temperatures and high winds.
• The sholas have savannah woodlands, and evergreen trees which are more stunted than those lowland evergreen forests.
• Billithadahalla, Pykara and Kundah rivers flow through the park.
• Nilgiri Tahr
• It is also known as Nilgiri Ibex.
• It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu
• The Adult males of NilgiriTahr species develop a light grey area or “saddle” on their backs and are hence called “Saddlebacks”.
• IUCN status – Endangered