Mount Harriet National Park in Andaman Islands

Mount Harriet National Park is a national park located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands union territory of India. The park, established in 1969, covers about 4.62 km2 .Mount Harriet (1,257 ft.) which is part of the park, is the third-highest peak in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago next to Saddle Peak (2,402 ft.) in North Andaman and Mount Thullier (1,864 ft.) in Great Nicobar.

Mount Harriet is the height point in South Andaman stands at a height of 365. Mount Harriet in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is located at such an altitude that it provides a fascinating view of the entire cluster of islands.During the British rule in India, Mount Harriet was the summer headquarters for the Chief Commissioner. At Mount Harriet, the National Park, the one can spend time by taking a wildlife tour. The major attraction for tourists visiting Mount Harriet is the natural trek up to Madhuban. Along the trek, the tourist can feast their eyes with the sights of the various birds, animals and butterflies that are found in this region. The walk along the natural trail is one of the most exotic experiences for any traveler coming to tour the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Flora The park has evergreen primary forests, and at Chiriyatapu the forest type is mixed deciduous, a combination of primary and secondary forests. The three types of forests are categorized as tropical evergreen, hilltop tropical evergreen and littoral. Overall 134 plant and tree species are reported, including 74 native and 51 introduced species. Some of the plant species of the tropical variety are:Dipterocarpus gracilis, Dipterocarpus grandiflorus, Dipterocarpus kerrii, Endospermum chinensis, and Hopea odorata including Araucaria columnaris which is a conifer native to Caledonia Islands. Plant species of the hilltop tropical variety are Canarium manii, Cratoxylum formosum, and Dipterocarpus costatus. The littoral forest species are mainly Manilkara littoralis and Moringa citrifolia.

Trekking along the 7-kilometre (4.3 mi) path from Bambooflat to the mountain top at 365 meters (1,198 ft.), trees are seen with hanging vines.

Fauna Introduced species include the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and chital (Axis axis) apart from ferals. There are 28 reptile species recorded (including 14 species endemic to the Andamans) which are mostly lizards and snakes. The amphibian fauna reported are 6 species; 2 species of Andaman bull frog (Kaloula baleata ghoshi) and Andaman paddy field frog (Limnonectes andamanensis) are endemic.

The land molluscs consist of six species. The invertebrate species reported are 355 which include insects to the extent of 70%. The well-known insect silkmoth, Samia cynthia, has been recorded in the park in lowland forest areas up to 365 metres (1,198 ft.). In addition, larvae of Samia fulva were noted eating the leaves of Zanthoxylum rhetsa (Rutaceae) and Heteropanax fragrans (Araliaceae).