Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

Jungle Highlights: Elephants, Dholes(Indian wild dogs), lion-tailed marcaque, Nilgiri Langur, Malabar hornbill and Python

ESituated in the Western Ghats hills in the state of Kerala, is the panoramic creation of God, the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary was deep-rooted in 1934 as the Nelliampatty Sanctuary. After its growth in 1950, the sanctuary was renamed as the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and later was slated under the Project tiger in the year 1978. The sanctuary covers an area of 777sq km and surrounds an alluring Periyar Lake of 26 sq km, formed as a result of Mullaperiyar Dam in 1895. The sanctuary holds the sprinkling beauty of nature and has become an place of wanderlust in the catalog of travel and tourism.
Geographic feature of Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is highly graded for its variant geographical feature. Periyar Lake stands as the most important water reservoir of the jungle which help survive the flora and fauna,inhibiting the region. About 75% of the Ghat is covered with dense evergreen and moist deciduous grasslands. The the marshy areas along the fringes of the Periyar Lake are full of tall grasslands, making the region one of the richest habitats of large mammals. In addition to Periyar lake, the jungle is also gifted with two other rivers, the Azhutha and the Mullayar.



Major wildlife attractions in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
The forest are abundant with a great number of wild species catering to wild mammals , birds and reptiles.

Mammals
The region is greatly viewed for Indian elephant and of course tigers.THe elephant number ranges from 900-1000 individual whereas an estimated 24 tigers occupy the reserve. Among the 62 different kind of mammals the commonly found include samba (horse deer), foxes, leopards, Dholes (Indian wild Dog), and mouse deer. At times, a careful walk into the jungle may catch the elusive Nilgiri Tahr and Nilgiri Langur.

Birds
The sheer beauty of the place lies in the presence of vibrant birds and their cooing. As per the grabbed information, 320 different kinds dwells the region of which the great Malabar hornbill, woodpeckers, cuckoo, Kingfishers, draters and racket-tailed Drongos can be encountered.

Reptiles
Of the 45 different kinds of reptile, 30 are snake, 13 lizard and only 2 are of turtle species. Among them, Monkey Lizards are can be seen loitering onto the sunny rocks and along the sea shores. Visitors can also trace Python and at times, King Cobra.

Things to do in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Boating at Periyar Lake
Wandering across the sanctuary via water is the awesome way to scrutinize the flora and fauna . The Periyar lake is designated as an excellent boating spot, through which you can hope to get a number of interesting snapshots of a family of elephant, wild boar, Sambar Deer playing by the edge of the lake.

Elephant Ride
The most trilling part comes in with a ride in elephant's back and visiting the remotest part of the sanctuary,which is thickly covered with wooden hills and vast grasslands.

Bamboo Rafting
This is an adventurous part of a tour to this forest harbor.A mosaic of the bamboo raft is checked before the party gets into it. The rafting last for about 3 hours and covers some of the richest forest tracts of Periyar Tiger Reserve. The tourist,while performing this programme is headed by an armed guard and 4 guides.

Jungle Trekking
Just like offering the above activities, border hiking(trekking) is also an exciting way to explore this dense forest. The full day programme unfolds at the morning (8 am)and wraps up at evening. The trekkers can cover an attitudinal range of 900 meters-1300meters and could peep the lofty escarpments bordering the park watershed and the vast plains down below.

Jeep Safari
One can enjoy the scenic beauty with a long drive via Jeep Safari. The journey begins early morning at 5:30am and halts at Gavi (Green Mansion) for refreshments.

Jungle Resorts in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Periyar Wildlife scantuary is a place of zeal and a comfortable tour into the region calls for a number of homestay and hotels. Mickey Cottage, Kairali Palace, Jungle Palace, Banboo Grove are a few nearly by place of stay. Also a few hotels that cater inside the Pariyar Tiger Reserve are Lake Palace, Periyar House, Aranya Nivas etc.

Some Bits and Pieces
The best time to visit: October to June.
Climate: It enjoys a tropical climate varies between 10 degree centigrade - 26 degree centigrade.
Near By Places: Some of the near by areas like Kumily (4 km), Madurai (140 km), Cochin or Kochi (200 km), Kottayam (114 km), Ernakulam also calls for travel and tourism.
Closest look at Periyar: Alleppey, Cradomom Hills

How to reach Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

• One can reach the destination by any of the three comfortable routes.
• The nearest airports from Periyar are Kochi(Cochin) at a distance of 200km or Madurai in Tamil Nadu at 140 km away .Or the best possible way is to catch a train from Kottayam at 114 km from Periyar.
• A journey from Kottayam, Ernakulam and Madurai in Tamil Nadu via four wheeler is also an apt option.