Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sactuary Earlier called Anaimalai Hills

Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary (Anaimalai Hills; Western Ghats) and adjoining plantation region of Valparai situated in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu state is a very good place to study these non human Primates.

The sanctuary is located at 10013’08” and 10033’27” N and 76049’02” and 77021’07” E. The sanctuary has an area of 987 km2. The area gets both Southwest and Northeast monsoons, but most of the rain is from Southwest . It gets more than 5000mm of rain annually. The western part of the Western Ghats receives most of the rainfall whereas the eastern part is a rain shadow area. The sanctuary receives Southwest monsoon from June to September and the Northeast monsoon from October to December. The altitude varies from 320m ASL at Navamalai foothills to>2000m ASL at the peak of Akkamalai hill.

Anaimalai hills, name came to these hills because of the density of elephants in this area. Earlier people use to sight elegant elephants on top of hill, whenever they gaze at these hills.