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 (18.00 mi2). Mount Harriet (383 metres (1,257 ft)), which is part of the park, is the third-highest peak in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago next to Saddle Peak (732 metres (2,402 ft)) in North Andaman and Mount Thullier (568 metres (1,864 ft)) in Great Nicobar. The place is shown on the reverse side of Rupee 20 note in India. The park is named in commemoration of Harriet Tytler, the second wife of Robert Christopher Tytler, a British army officer, an administrator, naturalist and photographer, who were appointed Superintendent of the Convict Settlement at Port Blair in the Andamans from April 1862 to February 1864. Harriet is remembered for her work in documenting the monuments of Delhi and for her notes at the time of the Revolt of 1857 in India. The park’s well-known faunal species are Andaman wild pigs (an endangered species), saltwater crocodiles, turtles and robber crabs. The park is also a butterfly hotspot. Mount Harriet National Park was originally a reserve forest which was converted into a national park in 1979. It encompasses an area of 4,662 hectares (11,520 acres), which is likely to be extended to cover an additional area of 1,700 hectares (4,200 acres) to include adjoining mountain ranges and the marine ecosystem on the eastern coast. The mountains in the park are aligned in a north-south direction with the ridges and spurs originating from it aligned in an east-west direction. The park’s elevation range is from zero at the coast to the peak level of 481 metres (1,578 ft). The eastern face of the park has steep slopes, and the beaches here are also formed of rocks interspersed with small sandy areas. The park is drained by many streams which rise in the hills and flow into the sea on the east. The park experiences marine climatic conditions, and hot and humid conditions in view of its proximity to the equator. A notable feature 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away from the park is Kalapathar, where prisoners used to be pushed down the ravine to their death. The park is at a distance of 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Port Blair, the capital of the union territory, which also has an airport. Trekking through the park is popular as it passes through an attractive beach; one can watch endemic avifauna, animals, and butterflies that fly around, and also see elephants carrying lumber. The tribal community living in the tropical forest of the park are the Negrito people, who are hunter-gatherers.
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