KERALA WILDLIFE

Welcome to a world of spellbinding experiences. Welcome to the wild and wonderful in god's own country. Nestled in the lush forests of the western ghats in Kerala are twelve wildlife sanctuaries and two national parks. Each one home to rare animals, birds, reptiles, insects and plants. From the endangered Nilgiri tahr to the lion-tailes macaque. From the atlas moth - the largest in the world, to the travancore evening brown , one of the rarest butterflies in the world. From the Neelakurinji that blooms once every twelve years to podocarpus wallichianus, the only South Indian conifer, and skirting these exotic destinations are some of the most delightful trekking trails in the country. At Wayanad, Nelliampathy, Munnar, Tthekkady, Agasthyarkoodam. Some of them adventurously exciting. Others enchanting in equal measure. All washed in the spice-scented air of endless acres of plantations, tea, coffee, cardamom, vanilla, pepper, oranges, mangoes.

Periyar Tiger Reserve (Idukki District)

Access: Nearest Airport : Madurai (143 Kms) Nearest Railhead : Kumarakom, (114 Kms). Nearest town is Kumily (4km), The entry point to the reserve is Thekkady, which is accessible by good roads from Madurai, Cochin & Thiruvananthapuram.

This is one of the most prestigious regions on the high ranges of the western ghats. One of the world's most fascinating natural wildlife sanctuaries, the Periyar reserve is noted for its geomorphology, diverse wildlife and beautiful landscape. The drive to Thekkady itself is enchanting as the road winds through Tranquil countryside, rich plantations and thick jungles. The sanctuary, declared a tiger reserve in 1978 under the project tiger scheme, attracts travellers from all over the world. This is the only sanctuary in India where the wild elephant can be observed and photographed at close quarters. There are two watch towers in the Periyar forest.

Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary (Ernakulam (Cochin) District)

Access: Nearest Airport : Cochin (71 Km) Nearest Railway Station : Aluva (48 Km).

The Thattekkad bird sanctuary, constituted in 1983, occupies the catchment area of the Bhoothathankettu dam. The only one of its kind in Kerala, this sanctuary was designed by Dr. Salim Ali, the renowned ornithologist. He is reported to have identified 167 bird species and his student - dr. Sugathan, 207. In addition, the bombay natural history society has identified 253 species here. The Thattekkad bird sanctuary attract nature lovers from all over the world.

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary

Located on the banks of the vembanad lake, the kumarakom bird sanctuary, an ornithologist's paradise, is a favourite haunt of migratory birds like the siberian stork, egret, darter, heron and teal. Other common varieties like the woodpecker, skylark, crane, water hen and parrots can also be spotted here. A cruise along the vembabad lake is the best way to experience the sanctuary. Pathiramanal, an enchanting island on the lake, can be accessed by boat from here.

Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary (Thiruvananthapuram District)

Access: Nearest Airport : Thiruvananthapuram (32 Kms),Nearest Railhead : Thiruvananthapuram, connected with Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Kashmir.

The sanctuary strectches from Neyyatinkara Taluk to the Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu. It is the drainage basin of the Neyyar river and its tributaries - Mullayar and Kallar - which originate in Agasthyarkoodam, the second highest peak in Kerala (1868m). Thesanctuary was estahlished in 1958.

Other Wildlife Sanctuaries:
¤ Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary (Thruvananthapuram District)
¤ Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary (Kollam District)
¤ Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary (Palakkad District)
¤ Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Wayanad District)
¤ Eravikulam National Park (Idukki District)
¤ Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary ( Idukki District)