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2.  By the mid-1800s, large tracts of Valparai Plateau in
the Anamalais were under intense tea or
coffee plantations after deforestation of the natural
forests.
 By 1866 two-thirds of the plantations were owned
by Europeans and the remaining by Indians from
coastal towns.
 Since most native inhabitants either refused to work
or were inefficient workers, labour for plantations
was brought from the plains of Tamil Nadu to clear
forests and grow coffee.

4.  Some parts of the forest however were
reserved for timber including large areas
around Top Slip.
 This part of the Western Ghats, under
the Bombay Presidency were exploited
extensively for teak which was supplied to
the Bombay Dockyard for shipbuilding and
later for railroad ties.

5.  In 1855, this area came under sustainable
forest management for teak plantations
by the pioneering efforts Douglas
Hamilton and Dr. H. F. Cleghorn of the
new Tamil Nadu Forest Department.
 In the early 1900s, protection of
the Karian Sholas was also ensured .

6.  The area was notified as Anaimalai Wildlife
Sanctuary in 1974.
 Unique habitats at 3 places – Karian Shola,
Grass hills, Manjampatti Valley were notified
as a National Park in 1989.
 The 108 square kilometers (42 sq mi)
National Park is the core area of the 958
square kilometers (370 sq mi) Indira Gandhi
Wildlife Sanctuary. IGWS was declared
a Project Tiger tiger reserve in 2008.

7.  The Park and the Sanctuary is under
consideration by UNESCO as part of The
Western Ghats World Heritage site.
 The Sanctuary and the Palni Hills in Dindigul
District form the Anaimalai Conservation
Area.