sanctuaries in the state is the responsibility of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife). Kali Tiger Reserve is headed by the Director of the Park who is also the Chief Conservator of Forests. Flora The park is in the ecoregions of North Western Ghats montane rain forests and North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests, both of which are deemed endangered by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The forests have high biodiversity. Some common trees and plants here include: bintangur, Calophyllum wightianum, Malabar tamarind, Garcinia morella, Knema attenuata, Hopea wightiana, Tetrameles nudiflora, blackboard tree, Flacourtia montana, Machilus macrantha, Carallia brachiata, aini-maram, Artocarpus lacucha, true cinnamon, bamboo, bauhinia, eucalyptus, lantana, silver oak, teak and jamba. Fauna The black panther, elephants and tigers live in the park but are rarely seen. Other large mammals here are Indian bison, sloth bear, Indian wild boar, bonnet macaque, northern plains grey langur, grey slender loris, several deer including: barking deer (muntjac), mouse deer (chevrotain), sambar deer and spotted deer (chital or axis deer). Wild dog, jackal, jungle cat, leopard cat, small Indian civet, Indian grey mongoose, flying squirrel, porcupine, Malabar civet, Indian giant squirrel and pangolin also make their home in the forests here. Reptiles in the park include the king cobra, spectacled cobra, Russell's viper, saw-scaled viper, common krait, Indian rock python, rat snake, vine snake, green or bamboo pit viper and monitor lizards. Interesting birds include the Ceylon frogmouth, great hornbill, Malabar pied hornbill, Malabar grey hornbill, Indian grey hornbill and Asian fairy bluebird. Around 200 species of birds are recorded in the park. These include the distinctive adjutant stork, ashy woodswallow, black-crested bulbul, blue-headed pitta, brahminy kite, broad-billed roller, crested serpent eagle, great hornbill, golden-backed woodpecker, Malabar pied hornbill, Sri Lanka frogmouth and yellow-footed green pigeon. Visitor information The best months to visit are October to May. The park is open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. The nature camp at Kulgi has accommodations available in tents (two beds each), deluxe tents (two beds each), and a dormitory with 16 beds. The climate is quite humid year around. The usual plans are visiting the Bird Trail, Mammal trail in Kulgi which is a 3-km walk. The water sports like Jacuzzi, boating, rafting, and canoeing can be planned in the river Kali, and trekking the extremely beautiful Dudhsagar waterfalls by a 20-km trek is also available. Also note many roads within