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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}{{refimprove|date=August 2020}}[[File:Mukurthi peak.jpg|thumb|Mukurthi peak]]<br />
'''Mukurthi Peak''' is one of the highest peaks in the [[Western Ghats]], situated on the border of [[Udagamandalam]] taluk, [[Nilgiris]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Nilambur]] taluk, [[Malappuram district|Malappuram]], and [[Kerala]] in India. It reaches an altitude of 2,554 m (8,379ft), and is the fifth-highest peak in South India.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-20|title=Top 10 Highest Peaks In South India - Highest Peaks Of South India|url=https://top10nos.com/highest-peaks-in-south-india69/|access-date=2020-08-23|language=en-US}}</ref> <br />
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== Geography ==<br />
The western slope of the hill sits astride the Kerala/Tamil Nadu border. It has many cliffs ranging from 500 m to 2,500 m. Part of Mukurthi is situated within Malappuram district, which is the third-highest point in Kerala, after [[Anamudi|Anaimudi]] (2,696 m) and [[Meesapulimala|Meeshapulimala]] (2,651 m). The peak can only be accessed through [[Nilgiris district|Nilgiri district]]. The Mukurthi peak is said to resemble a "pointed nose."<br />
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Mukurthi peak is part of [[Mukurthi National Park]] (Nilgiri Tahr National Park), in the [[Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve]]. Mukurthi is covered with [[shola]] (patches of stunted tropical montane forest (found in valleys amid rolling grassland in the higher montane regions of South India),<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sundararaju|first=V|date=January 24, 2020|title=Why South India needs the Shola forests of the Nilgiris|url=https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/forests/why-south-india-needs-the-shola-forests-of-the-nilgiris-68948|url-status=live|website=Down to Earth}}</ref> including pine, grasslands and shrublands. Its habitat is favorable for [[Asian elephant|Asian elephants]], tigers, and [[Nilgiri Tahr]]. Mukurthi National Park is situated between the [[Mudumalai National Park]] and the [[Silent Valley National Park]]. [[Ooty]] is the nearest town (30 km away).<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Mukurthi Peak, Ooty, India Tourist Information|url=https://www.touristlink.com/india/the-mukurthi-peak-and-mukurthi-national-park/overview.html|access-date=2021-05-18|website=www.touristlink.com|language=en-US}}</ref><br />
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Pichalbetta (2,544 m) and Nilgiri hill are the most prominent peaks adjacent to this area, and Mukurthi Dam is also nearby.<br />
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== Surroundings ==<br />
Many streams drain into [[Bhavani River]]. Among the peaks inside the National Park, the highest are Kolaribetta (2,630m), together with Mukurthi Peak (2,556m) and Nilgiri Peak (2,477m. Southwest of Mukurthi lies [[Silent Valley National Park]], and to its west the land falls steeply to 2,000 m in the [[Amarambalam|Amarabalam]] Forest. <br />
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The area under monoculture forestry in Mukurthi is comparatively less than Nilgiris district, and consists mainly of ''[[Acacia mearnsii]]'', [[Eucalyptus globulus|''Eucalyptus'' ''globulus'']] and ''[[Pinus patula]]''. The vegetation is either Southern Montane Wet Temperate Forest (shola), grassland and plantation. Pristine shola patches can be seen throughout the park, generally at the heads of streams in the folds of converging slopes. These forests support a variety of flora and fauna. This IBA site is among the richest regions of plant biodiversity, with many endemic orchids and other plant groups. Grasslands in Mukurthi are common and form a mosaic with shola. They are a mixture of ''Chrysopogon'', ''Ischaemum'', ''Dicanthium'', ''Andropogon'', Eragrostis and ''Panicum'' species. The ecological status of these grasslands is debated.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BirdLife Data Zone|url=http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/18397|access-date=2021-05-30|website=datazone.birdlife.org}}</ref><br />
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== Wildlife ==<br />
Mukurthi hosts many species of wildlife:<ref>{{Cite web|title=::: TAMILNADU TOURISM :::|url=http://www.tamilnadutourism.org/wildlife/parks/MNNiligiris.html|access-date=2021-05-19|website=www.tamilnadutourism.org}}</ref><br />
* [[Nilgiri tahr|Nilgiris tahr]]<br />
* [[Sambar deer]]<br />
* [[Muntjac|Barking deer]]<br />
* [[Nilgiri marten|Nilgiris marten]]<br />
* [[Otter]]<br />
* [[Jungle cat|Jungle Cat]]<br />
* [[Jackal]]<br />
* [[Laughingthrushes|Laughing thrushes]]<br />
* [[Whistling thrush|Whistling thrushes]]<br />
* [[Woodcock]]<br />
* [[Common wood pigeon|Wood pigeon]]<br />
* [[Black eagle]]<br />
* [[Kaniska canace|Blue Admiral]]<br />
* [[Vanessa indica|Indian Red Admiral]]<br />
* [[Pieris canidia|Indian Cabbage white]]<br />
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==References==<br />
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[[Category:Mountains of the Western Ghats]]<br />
[[Category:Two-thousanders of Asia]]<br />
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