Kerela Wildlife Sanctury
Kerala Widlife Sanctuary
The forests in Kerala are indeed some of the most magnificent and varied found anywhere in the world. These evergreen, deciduous and thorny scrub forests are abundant with magnificent wildlife including the tiger, elephants, leopards, bears, the gaur and an abundance of birds and butterflies. Ram World Travel takes you on a journey of adventure and discovery through these mountains and forests for an unforgettable safari.
NEYYAR DAM & WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Notified as a wildlife sanctuary, the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary is just 30 km from Thiruvananthapuram. This sanctuary covering an area of about 128 sq. km forms the catchment area of the Neyyar DAM. With a rugged topography of meadows and slopes, altitudes ranging from 90 to 1800 meters above sea level, the sanctuary is contiguous with the Kalakkadu Tiger Reserve and Mundanthurai Wildlife Sanctuary in TamilNadu. The famous Agasthyamala and the Meenmutty falls form part of this sanctuary.
The sanctuary has a remarkable diversity of vegetation. There are over 1000 species of flowering plants, including some of the best orchids in the world. The faunal diversity is rich and fascinating. The endangered primates, the lion-tailed macaque and the Nilgiri languor share the ever green forest. Other animals like bonnet macaque and giant squirrels are seen here. Elephants, Sambhar deer, gaur, barking deer, mouse deer and wild boar.
There is a Lion Safari Park spanning an area of four hectares and a Crocodile Farm established in 1977. Boats can be hired to explore the shores of the sanctuary. Kerala Tourism Development Corporation organizes (KTDC) tours to Neyyar Dam.
KUMARAKOM BIRD SANCTUARY
16 km. west of Kottayam on the Vembanad lake. The Sanctuary teems with local waterfowls and over wintering migratory birds such as the Siberian storks. Boats are available for backwater cruises in the lake.
THATTEKKAD BIRD SANCTUARY
This bird sanctuary in Devikulam Taluk is 20 km from Kothamangalam on the Ernakulam – Munnar Road. This 25 sq. km. Sanctuary is formed between the branches of the river Periyar. The vegetation here consists of tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen moist deciduous forests and plantations of teak, rosewood, mahagony etc. The sanctuary is home to the Malabar grey hornbills, woodpeckers, parakeets, falcons and rare species such as Sri Lankan frogmouth and rose-billed roller. There are boat cruises available from Bhoothathankettu to Thattekkad.
ERAVIKULAM-RAJAMALAI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
This National Park is home to the largest population of Nilgiri Tahr (a type of mountain goat) existing in the world now, and barking deer, giant Malabar squirrel, sambar, gaur, wolf etc. The highest peak of Kerala, the Anamudi in the southern part of this park provides a magnificent spectacle. A variety of plant life is also present here. The well-known medicinal plant ‘Neelakurinji’ is among the rarer species found here. This park is 135 km from Ernakulam and 16 km from Munnar.
PERIYAR WILD LIFE SANCTUARY
The Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary at Thekkady is a 777 sq. km reserve on the western slopes of the Western Ghats is the most popular wild life sanctuary. A pleasant place to escape from the madding crowds of the cities and towns, a nice place to cruise on the lake, a place to enjoy a jungle walk with an opportunity to see the wild animals. The park is home to antelopes, bison, sambar, wild boar, elephants and a wide variety of birds in addition to tigers and leopards. The journey to Thekkady itself is quite enchanting as the road winds through tranquil countryside, green plantations and thick jungles.
A study of the Periyar Tiger Reserve conducted by the Kerala Forest Research Institute has revealed the richness of diversity of the park. The reserve was found to have some 1965 species of plants signifying that it is easily among the richest areas in plant variety in the world. A parallel could be drawn only with the Agasthyamala region where 3800 species of plants were recorded. The high degree of endemism exhibited by the Reserve makes it all the more important from the point of view of bio-diversity conservation. About 150 species of plants, which have been placed under various threat categories by the World Conservation Union, have been identified from the Reserve.
The park encompasses a 26 sq. km artificial lake created by the British in1895. The sanctuary offers an enchanting view of the wild life by taking a boat trip in the lake. Jungle walks can also be interesting. The best time to visit the sanctuary is between September and May.
There is a Wildlife Information Centre at Thekkady, which is inside the park. The nearest town is Kumily (4 km from the lake) on the Kerala –Tamil Nadu border. Kumily is a 4 hour bus journey from Kottayam [110 km].
PEECHY DAM & THE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
The 125 sq. km. PeechiVazhani Wildlife Sanctuary and The Peechy Dam are 23 km from Thrissur. Boating facilities are available at the reservoir. It is a beautiful spot for picnics.
SILENT VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
80 km. from Palakkad. It is popularly known as the evergreen forest and noted for its eerie silence because of the lack of cicadas. It is an important biosphere reserve in the Western Ghats and Home of the tribal people. The Valley known for the rare lion-tailed macaque. This National Park is a protected area for tigers also. To stay and dine: Forest Department Rest house and local hotels at Mukkali, 22 km from the park.
PARAMBIKULAM WILD LIFE SANCTUARY
The Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is 135 km from Palakkad and adjacent to the Annamalai Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. Sprawling over 285 sq. km. Besides an abode of elephants, wild boar, sambar, bison, guar, crocodiles, and a few tigers and panthers, it has rich diversity of flora and fauna. Treking in the forest is allowed with prior permission. Boating can be done at the lake. The Cannimare Teak Tree, which is said to be Asia’s largest, is here near Thunakadavu.
WAYANAD WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is 16 km east of Sultan’s Battery. This sanctuary of more than 344 sq. km of remote rainforest is adjacent to the Bandipur National Park in Karnataka and the Mudumalai Sanctuary in Tamilnadu. This sanctuary is also called by the name Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary.
Wildlife Safari Menu
Rainforests, Elephants & Macaques (3-Day Safari) - Periyar Tiger Reserve. Good sightings of elephants, gaur (bison), Lion-tailed macaques. Tropical rainforests and grasslands. Stay in Forest Lodge or tents in the middle of the forest. Contact Us for Detailed Ity of This programme.
Tea, Tahrs & Gaurs (5-Day Safari) - Periyar Tiger Reserve, Eravikulam National Park, Chinnar wildlife Sanctuary. Good sightings of elephants, gaur (bison), Lion-tailed macaques at Periyar. Tropical rainforests at Periyar, sholas (high altitude montane forests)and grasslands at Munnar and dry deciduous forests at Chinnar. Stay in Forest Lodge or tents at Periyar, resort or tents at Munnar, tree houses or tents at Chinnar. Highlights of the trip - Nilgiri Tahrs at Munnar, Giant Grizzled Squirrels at Chinnar and Elephants and Macaques at Periyar.
Wild Kerala Safari (7-Day Safari) - Periyar Tiger Reserve, Eravikulam National Park, Chinnar wildlife Sanctuary & Parambikulam wildlife Sanctuary. Good sightings of elephants, gaur (bison), Lion-tailed macaques. Eco-systems change from Tropical rainforests, sholas (high altitude montane forests), grasslands, dry deciduous forests to bamboo & teak forests. Stay in Forest Lodges, tree houses or tents in the middle of the forest.
