Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Thekkady, one of India's leading sanctuaries. This renowned tourist destination is in an area demarcated for the `Project Tiger' campaign of by the Government of India. The ride to Thekkady itself is full of glorious sights as the road winds through tranquil countryside, stimulating spice plantations and deep jungle.
At Periyar, you can go on a boat ride on the man- made lake, which encircles wildlife areas. During the ride, you can witness wildlife. You can spot Bison, Sambar bear, elephant, spotted deer, etc. Thekkady covers an area of 777 sq. km. of lush green tropical forests containing a variety of rare plant species. This is also an ideal place for an enthusiastic bird watcher.
Periyar wildlife sanctuary has a picturesque lake at the heart of the sanctuary. Formed with the building of a dam in 1895, this reservoir meanders around the contours of the wooded hills, providing a permanent source of water for the local wildlife. Though its a Tiger Reserve, tourists come here to view the Indian elephants in the act of ablution and playfulness by the Periyar lake.
Periyar is famous for........
Periyar is famous for its pachyderm population, which is around 800 in number. Periyar is probably one of the few places, where one can observe the elephants in their natural surroundings, uninterrupted, and approach to within 20 metres of them, fearlessly.
Fauna
Periyar's sylvan environs offer a refuge to many mammals, reptiles and amphibians
and around 320 avian species. The threatened lion-tailed Macaque and Nilgiri
Langur occur here, as does the Flying and Malabar Giant Squirrel. The elusive
Nilgiri Tahr is also present in this park. One can watch herds of Elephants
swimming in the Periyar Lake. This lake was constructed by the Britishers
in the year 1895 by constructing a dam across Periyar river. Now one can see
most of the wildlife around this lake by boat launches. The lake also has
a sizable population of turtles like Travancore Tortoise and the Black turtle.
Periyar is also home to leopard, wild dog, barking deer, mouse deer, monitor
lizards and a variety of snakes and birds. The birds include darter, cormorant,
grey heron, ibis, great malabar hornbill and grey hornbill, kingfishers, ospreys
and kites as well as orioles, hill mynas, racket tailed drongos, parakeets,
including the unusual blue winged paraket and fly catchers. The animals are
viewed from motor launches on the lake and from watch tower
Flora
Due to the presence of large water bodies Periyar National Park is birdwatcher's
delight. It attracts large number of birds both resident as well as migratory
the reason being the presence of astonishingly vast
flora.
The forests are tropical, a mixture of deciduous, semi-evergreen, and evergreen ‘sholas’, the last occurring in the moist valleys and characterised by tall trees and a closed canopy. The forests alternate with extensive patches of grasslands. Periyar’s rich bird life includes the Giant Hornbill, Cormorant, Darter, Osprey and Racket-tailed Drongo. The Indian Python and King Cobra are among the reptilian fauna. Periyar has a few Nilgiri Tahr, good numbers of which may also be seen on a day excursion to nearby Eravikulam National Park near Munnar.
Attractions in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
