Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Wildlife in Kerala

Just like green pastures, beaches and backwaters, Kerala is also a wilderness beauty. There are numerous wildlife reserves situated within the state, but the major part is that even if they are wild reserves they present a unique travel experience to every visitor who visit them.

One of the major reasons of a varied wildlife is the breathtakingly beautifully hill range of the Nilgiris. So if you ever get bored of exploring the wilds, there's always an option of touring the hill resorts and destinations as well as tea estates of Kerala. More of all while exploring the wilds you can always go for a trek or a hike towards the tea estate regions that usually surround the hill stations of Kerala.

Kerela's wildlife sanctuaries, are home to some of the highly endangered species of flora and fauna. The main wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala include Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary and Thekkady Bird Sanctuary. The well maintained wildlife sanctuaries and national parks of Kerala are teeming with exotic wildlife.

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary :

Access :Nearest Airport - Coimbatore and Cochin.
Nearest Railway Station - Pollachi (60 Km) And Aluva (200 Kms).

Area : Total - 90.422 Sq.Km.

Climate :Rainfall - 100 Mm. Unlike Other Regions In Kerala, Chinnar Gets Only 48 Days Of Rain ( Northeast Monsoon : October - November) Annually.

Located in the rain shadow region of the western ghats, the sanctary occupies the forested region on either side of the Marayoor - Udumalped road. This is the second habitat of the endangered giant grizzled squirrel of india. The location of sanctuary offers the unique advantage of watching its fascinating wildlife at close quarters from the road without venturing deep into the jungle. The Marayoor sandal forest and the beautiful Thoovanam waterfalls are located here.

Vegetation :Forest Types - Thorny Scrub Forest With Xerophytic Species. Dry Deciduous Forests, High Sholas And Wetlands.

Wildlife Population :Mammals - Elephant, Gaur, Spotted Deer, Panther, Sambar, The Endangered Giant Grizzled Squirrel, Hanuman Langur, Rabbit Etc

Eravikulam National Park :

Access : Nearest Airport - Cochin (155 Kms)
Nearest Railway Station - Aluva (114 Kms) From Munnar.

Area :Total - 97 Sq.Km. Core: 350 Sq.Km. Periyar Lake 26 Sq. Km, Forest Cover : 360 Sq.K.M.

Climate :This is one of the wettest regions of the world. Rainfall : 4500 mm. Frost is common in the winter months - december to february. 15 Km North Of Munnar. Established In 1975 To Protect The Nilgiri Tahr, The Eravikulam Sanctuary Was Declared A National Park In 1978 Considering Its Ecological, Faunal, Floral, Geomorphological And Zoological Significance. The Park Is Breathtakingly Beautiful And Comparable To The Alpine Ranges. This Land Of The Neelakurinji Is 7 Km From The Rajamalai Hills.

Vegetation :Forest Types - Rolling Grasslands and on a Higher Level, Shola Forest.

Wildlife Population :Mammals - Tigers , Panther, Wild Dog, Civet Cats, Sloth Bear, Nilgiri Langur, Wild Boar, Nilgiri Tahr etc

Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary :

Access :Nearest Airport - Madurai (143 Kms)
Nearest Railway Station - Kumarakom (114 Kms).
Nearest Town - Kumily (4km), the entry point to the Reserve is Thekkady, Which is Accessible by Good Roads from Madurai, Cochin & Thiruvananthapuram.

Area :Total - 77 Sq.Km.

Climate :Monsoon : June - November
Rainfall : 2200 Mm. 40 kms from Thodupuzha town. Spread over the Thodupuzha and Udumpanchola taluks of Idukki district, the sanctuary was formed in 1976. The Idukki arch dam, the first major hydroelectric project in Kerala, is situated here. The 33 sq.km scenic lake around the santruary - the Idukki reservoir - is formed by the three dams Cheruthoni, Idukki and Kulamavu.

Vegetation :Tropical Dense Evergreen Forest : White Pine, Kuntherekka Pine, Punnappa, Bhadraksham, Palai, Vediplavu, Maravuri, Vayana Etc.

Wildlife Population : Reptiles - Elephant, Deer , Bear, Leopard Tiger, Wild Pig Etc.
Mammals - Cobra, Viper, Python, Rat Snake, Etc.
Reptiles - Hornbill, Kingfisher, Woodpecker.

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.

Best Time :Between June And August. (Migratory Birds : November - February)

Pathiramanal :This 10 acre island on the backwaters is home to may rare varieties of migratory birds from different parts of the world.

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