Nestled
in lush forest of the Western Ghats in Kerala are fourteen wildlife sanctuaries.
And skirting these exotic destinations are some of the most delightful trekking
trails in the country. Some of them adventurously exciting, others enchanting
in equal measure. All washed in the spice-scented air of endless acres of plantations.
Shenduruni Wildlife Sanctuary(66 km from town on the Kollam-Shencotta road) : Main attractions: Elephatns, tigers, leopards, bears, lion tailed macques.
Acces: Nearest Airport: Thiruvananthapuram (72 Kms) Nearest Railhead : Thenmala, connected with Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Kashmir. Motorable Road connected with Kollam Town and Thiruvananthapuram city.
Pathanapuram taluk, 66 km from Kollam town on the Kollam - Shencotta road. The Shenduruny forest was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1984. The Name Shenduruny comes from an endemic species of tree called Chenkuruny (gluta travancoria), mainly confined to this region. The artificial lake formed by the parappar dam built across the shenduruny and kulathupuzha rivers occupies the central region of the sanctuary.
Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary (50 km from Thiruvananthapuram)
Main attractions:
Elephants,
sambar deer, leopards and lion tailed macques. Neyyar wildlife Sanctuary (30 km from Thiruvananthapuram)
Main attractions: Elephants , gaurs, sloth, bears, Nilgiri tahrs, lion safari park.
Trekking Trails: Agasthyarkoodam (Thiruvananthapuram), the second highest peak in Kerala, at a height of 1890 m above sea level.
(Rcommended season for trekking: December to April)
Silent Valley National Park (40 km from Mannarghat):
Main attractions: Elephants, tigers, wild boars, flying squirrels, lion tailed macaques and king cobras.
Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary
Main attractions:
Fauna:
Mammals: Bonnet macaques, lion, tailed macaques, Nilgiri langurs, loris,
tigers, lwopards, jungle cats, mongoose, focen, bears, elephants, gaurs, Nilgiri
tahrs, spotted deer, sambar, barking deer, wild boars, pangolins etc. Reptiles: Crocodiles, varanur pond terrapins, cane trutiles, geckoes, skunks, chameleons, snakes like king cobras, spectacled cobras, kraits, vipers, pythons, green keel backs, rat snakes, vine snakes.
Fishes: Arals, brals, vatudis, thilopias, noovis, mooshus, poochittis, kollotties, exypriuses, tarals, mahaseer etc. Capped kingfisher, great Indian bombills, broad billed rollers, back woodpeckers.
Flora: Neem, nanjanathi, sandal, maruthu, vaka, mulluvenga, rosewood, manjakadambu pala, elavu, dendrocalamus and bamboosa arundinacea, teak, vengal, muzhukanjiram, vembu, aval, vanteak… A gaint teak, 40 m high and 6.4 m in girth and apthy named kannimaram the first tree, stands as a monuments of the past.
Periyar
Tiger Reserve One of the world's most fascinating natural wildlife sanctuaries, Thekaddy is noted for its geomorphology, wildlife and beautiful landscape. This sanctuary was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978, Entry to the Periyar Wildlfie Sanctuary: 0600-1800 hrs
Main attractions:
Flora: Over 1800 flowering plants including 171 grass species. 143 species of orchids. The only south Indian conifer Podocarpus Wallichianus grows here.
Fauna: Mammals: 35 species including wild elephants, gaurs, langur, sambar deer and wild boars that can be sighted from the boats, the Nilgiri tahr in the higher rocky areas, the endangered lion tailed macaque confined to the evergreen interiors, bonnet macque, Malabar giant squirrel, flying squirrel, tiger, jungle cat, sloth bear etc.
Birds: 265 species including migrants. The hombill, stork, woodpecker, kingfisher, raptor, darter, cormorant, grackle, cluster etc.
Reptiles: Cobra, viper, krait, a number of non poisonous snakes, bicoloured frogs and crocodiles.
Pisces: The Periyar lake and streams have several species of fish including the masher, the famous endangered game fish of India. The otter, the only mammal of the lake, can be frequently spotted form the boat.
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, situated on the banks of the Vembanand Lake is known for its varied avian population. Local varieties such as waterfowls, cuckoos and owls, as well as the migratory Siberian Cranes can be viewed here.
The Kumarakom Tourist Complex, sprawling over 101 acres of enchanting wooded land and lake, was built around the 50-year-old 'Baker's Mansion', which was earlier a small hotel run by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC).
Now the complex has been renovated in grand style by the Taj Kerala Resorts Ltd. Boats are available on hire for a a cruise around the sanctuary.
One of the well known wildlife sanctuaries in the south, Periyar sanctuary attracts a large number of nature lovers every year. Also called the Thekkady Wildlife Sanctuary, this place is ideal for watching the animals in their natural habitat.
The forest here, slopes into the manmade lake at the bottom of the hill. This lake serves as the waterhole for the animals and they come here to drink or take a dip. Elephants, Gaur, Sambhar and even tigers can be spotted here. There are boat services which takes the visitor around the lake.
The best season to visit the park is between October and June. Spread over 777 sq.km of the Cardamom Hills of Western Ghats, the Periyar sanctuary is located 137 km from Madurai. Although an excursion on the splendid artificial lake is the standard way to experience the sanctuary, you can also walk around with the local guide in a small group. Wild Elephant herds come to the lake to frolic in the water.
Other attractions of the sanctuary are the Sambhar, Bison, Spotted Deer, Tigers, Leopards, Malabar Flying Squirrels, Stripe necked Mongooses, etc. There are over 260 species of birds here, including Nilgiri Wood Pigeons, blue-winged Parakeets, White bellied Tree Pies, laughing Thrushes and Fly Catchers.
