Kerala is bestowed with a rich repertoire of natural bounty - mountains & hills, rivers & lakes, backwaters & shoreline. It is natural for Kerala to be home to many national parks and sanctuaries. The enchanting green forest with its rich flora and fauna makes Kerala a much sought after wildlife destination in India. The numerous national parks and wildlife sanctuaries of Kerala will add that extra bit of excitement when you holiday in Kerala.
The major worldlife sanctuaries of Kerala are--
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary :
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.
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Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary:
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.
Silent Valley National Park:
The Silent Valley contains India's last substantial stretch of tropical evergreen rain forests and it is perhaps the only vestige of a near virgin forest in the whole of the Western Ghats. Elephants, tigers, wild dog, flying squirrel and lion-tailed macaque are found here.
Thattekad Bird Sanctuary:
This bird sanctuary is a peninsular land of 25 sq. km. Formed between the branches of River Periyar. The avifauna includes both resting indigenous birds and water birds. The most notable of the indigenous birds are Malabar grey hornbill, grey jungle fowl, heron, egret, jungle myna, woodpecker, rose winged and blue winged parakeet. Rare birds like Ceylon frog-mouth, rose billed roller etc. are also seen.
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary :
The Periyar sanctuary offers a lovely and comfortable way to see the animals via boat rides on the man-made lake, which the wildlife areas encircle. In addition to the wild life, there are water and land birds galore here, and one can sometimes find dedicated bird watchers setting in for one or two weeks of serious observations
