Ooty Flora and Fauna: You can keep on saying endlessly about Ooty flora and fauna. Why? Because you are in one of the most bio diverse regions in the world. Ooty is an integral part of the Western Ghats. You find species of animals, birds, reptiles and plants that you don't find anywhere else in the world. To describe all of them would be folly and it wouldn't be anywhere to close to watching them with your own eyes. If you are a true nature lover and like to appreciate a place for its natural beauty then monsoon is the time for you to visit Ooty.
The mountains wake up from their slumber after summer and the whole forest is filled with wild activity. The mountain slopes are carpeted by a wide variety of wild flowers having colors beyond your wildest imagination. The fabled "Neela kurunji" which blossoms once in 12 years are exclusive to the Ghats. Ooty and Munnar in Kerala are the two places famous for this flower. You are sure to find an unprecedented rush of tourists if you are visiting Ooty at the year of blossom. Another main attraction in Ooty is the pine forests. One look at the forests and you get the feeling that someone might have deliberately planted those trees there many years ago.
To all appearance they seem to be a company of soldiers ready for marching orders. A sense of mystery creeps into these forests during the monsoon and winter time when the fog slowly sets in. The lower parts of the mountains are populated with dense tropical trees and this is where you find a wide variety of animals and reptiles. Ranging from the sleepy Indian rock python to the majestic King cobra you also find a large variety of snake. It is said that a python can easily devour a small deer. Who knows, if you are a trekking enthusiast you might actually come across one.
Among the mammals the elusive panther is the most exotic you find here. The forests are rumored to harbor the big cat, tiger, towards the Karnataka side of the forest. Apart from these, you find a large variety of birds and insects. Recently there have been reports of spotting the very rare, if not extinct flying squirrel in these parts of the Ghats. Some parts of the Ghats near Ooty form a critical section of one of the elephant corridors in South India. These parts are deemed protected and are out of bounds for visitors unless accompanied by forest officials.
The forests contain a lot of herbs of medicinal and scientific research value which is proved by a large number of pharmaceutical plants and botanical research facilities being set up in Ooty. The mysteries of nature are never fully understood by man. You should respect if not fear what you don't fully understand. There is no escape once nature unleashes its fury in the form of landslides and thunderstorms in this part of the region. The people of Ooty know of these only too well and they do all within their power to protect the nature and maintain the delicate balance.
