|
| |
| Home>>Wildlife
Sanctuaries >> Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary |
| |
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
|
| |
Periyar
Wildlife Tours: |
| |
Periyar
Wildlife Lodges & Resorts: |
| |
| The Periyar Wildlife
Sanctuary: |
| |
One of the most fascinating wildlife sanctuaries
in India, the Periyar wildlife sanctuary is located
on the high ranges of the Western Ghats in Kerala.
Spread over 777 sq kms, the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
has a forest cover of 360 sq km.
Exquisitely beautiful, this sanctuary is famous
for its water jewel – the Periyar Lake. An
artificial lake, it was formed by the creation of
a dam across the Mullaperiyar River in 1895. The
creation of this dam led to protection being granted
to the adjoining forests by the Maharaja of Travancore.
Even though this lake submerged a part of the forest
area when it was created, it has also become a provision
of water throughout the year for the wild animals
and birds. Even now tree stumps can be seen jutting
out of the water in parts of the lake. The lake
itself is responsible for the development of a unique
aquatic eco-system.
|
| |
| THE FAUNA OF PERIYAR
BIRD SANCTUARY: |
| |
| Animals in
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary: |
| Established
as a tiger reserve in 1978, under the Project
Tiger programme, the Periyar wildlife sanctuary
is home to about 35 species of animals, 265
species of birds, as well as to many species
of reptiles and fishes.
Around 40 Bengal tigers have made the Periyar
Wildlife Sanctuary their home. But due to the
topography of the sanctuary, tigers can be very
rarely seen. Even though it is a tiger reserve,
the Periyar Sanctuary is more famous for its
Indian wild elephants, than tigers. Around 700
of them roam around the forest in large herds
and can be seen playing around and splashing
water on themselves in summers. The elephants
are the most commonly sighted animals in the
sanctuary. |
|
| There
are four species of primates living in the sanctuary;
the rare lion- tailed Macaque being one of them.
The other primates living here are the Nilgiri
Langur, Bonnet Macaque and the common Langur.
The other wild animals that can be sighted are
the Sambar, Mouse Deer, Barking Deer, wild pigs,
Gaur and the Dole, also known as the Indian
wild dog.
The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary also harbors
the Nilgiri Tahr, which can be very rarely seen,
so if you happen to be very lucky, you can just
spot one. The only mammal living in water, the
Otter can be often seen in the Periyar Lake.
The reptilian population includes the Monitor
Lizard which can be seen as it basks in the
sun lazily with not a care in the world. King
Cobras, Kraits, Vipers and a number of non venomous
snakes can also be seen here. The other reptiles
that reside here are the tortoise, crocodiles
and the bi colored frogs. |
|
| |
| Birds in
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary: |
| |
Around 265 species of birds abound in this sanctuary
– both resident and migratory. The Peafowl,
Brahminy Kite, Black-winged Kite, the great Indian
Hornbill and the great Malabar Hornbill are some
of the terrestrial birds that live in this sanctuary.
The water birds gracing the Periyar Lake are the
Kingfisher, darter, little Cormorant and the black-necked
Stork. The Racket-tailed Drongoes also have made
for themselves a home here.
|
| |
| The Flora of
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary: |
|
More
than 171 species of grass and 143 species of orchards
grace the Sanctuary.
In total there are about 1800 species of plants which
provide a protective home as well as food to the birds
and animals in this sanctuary. The sanctuary is set
in the thickly forested Western Ghats.
The vegetation comprises of Tropical forests -
a mixture of deciduous forests, semi ever green
forests and evergreen “Sholas”, interspersed
with expanses of grasslands. The Sholas can be found
mainly in the moist valleys, and are characterized
by tall trees and a closed canopy.
|
| |
| Tourist Information for
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary: |
| |
- The Sanctuary is open to tourists from September
to May.
-
The best time to visit the
sanctuary is between November and April.
-
From February onwards, due
to the rising heat, animals can be sighted easily
around the water holes, as they come to quench
their thirst.
-
Weekends should be avoided
as the sanctuary tends to be over crowded with
people wanting to spend the whole day as a picnic.
-
You can tour the park in 4
ways – Jeep safaris, Elephant rides, nature
treks in the early morning or a boat ride.
-
You can rent Jeeps to tour
the sanctuary, but the best view can be gained
only from an elephant’s back.
-
The elephants can take you
through the dense forest where the Jeeps cannot
go and without disturbing the peace and quiet
of the nature.
-
The next best option is to
take a boat ride on the Periyar Lake where you
can see all the water birds, and the animals that
have come to have their drink of cool water.
-
The elephant herds especially
can be seen here as they playfully splash water
on themselves and their peers.
-
The otters - the only water
mammals at the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, can
be seen playing in the water.
-
The boat ride is 2 hrs long.
-
You can rent your own private
boat as it maximizes your chances of getting a
good look at the wild animals.
-
The best time to go for these
boat rides is the early morning and late evening.
As the day progresses, the animals disappear into
the dense forest.
-
Nature treks conducted by the
Forest Department are also a good way of viewing
wild life.
-
An experienced guide can show
you very interesting things, and take you to good
spots to view wildlife, making sure that your
trip has been worthwhile.
-
It is advisable to avoid the
weeks after monsoons for taking nature treks as
the leeches thrive during this time and can make
hiking very, very difficult.
|
| More Information on Periyar
Wildlife Sanctuary: |
| |
-
The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
was first developed in 1934 by the state of Travancore.
-
The Periyar Lake is an artificial
lake that was formed by the creation of a dam
on the Mullaperiyar river in1895.
-
The Sanctuary started developing
with the Periyar Lake as its centre.
-
By 1950 the Sanctuary had developed
to cover an area of 780 square kilometers.
-
The sanctuary is closer to
Madurai in Tamil Nadu - 145 kilometers to the
east and Cochin - 192 kilometers to the west.
-
The park is surrounded by aromatic
spice gardens – strong fragrances of pepper,
raw mangoes, cardamom and even vanilla assault
your senses as you enter the gardens.
-
Experienced guides can tell
you the medicinal value of each spice.
|
| |
| |
| |
