The famous Sirumalai Hill Banana is slowly disappearing from disease, which scientists have been unable to prevent.

Meanwhile Khandige estates and eco projects private limited in sirumalai has managed to protect 1000 acres of native forest which is the last existing private forest recorded in sirumalai since 1990. www.khandigewildlife.org [5] Man-made fires on the hills have destroyed medicinal plants and threatened the fauna habitat.

Fires are often set to promote vegetation growth used for animal fodder, clear land for cultivation, or improve access to timber.

[citation needed] In the region of Sirumalai, the Agasthiarpuram is a holy place where siddhas (monks) have lived since ancient times.

Other rare plants such as lianas and orchids also occur in the higher elevation evergreen tracts.

A rich animal life including threatened animals such as the slender loris, gaur, sambar deer, sloth bear, Asian palm civet, Indian hare, jungle cat and Indian pangolin are to be seen in the wild.

Threatened reptiles such as the python molurus, Indian star tortoise, and venomous snakes such as Indian cobra, Russell's viper, common krait and the endemic bamboo pit viper and the little-known striped coral snake are found here.

Special mention must be made of the only endemic reptile of the hill – the Sirumalai shieldtail snake Uropeltis dindigalensis, that is reportedly not found anywhere else.

[editorializing] Agatthiyar SivaSakthi Sitthar Peedam is an ashram located at the silver hill in Agathya Puram.