For those of us interested in adventurous tours into the wild and untouched forest areas and want to view the nature and photograph the wildest of animals in their natural habitat, a tour into the Periyar wildlife sanctuary, Kerala is worth considering.
The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is located amidst the mountains of western ghats, in the Idukki district of the God’ own country, Kerala. It covers an area of 777 sq km and is one of most renowned sanctuaries in India.
The history of this park dates back to 1934, when the Maharaja of Travancore, on recommendation of his game warden, S.C.H. Robinson, converted the area around the lake into a sanctuary by the name of Nellikkampetty sanctuary. In 1966, the sanctuary was brought under the forest department and the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary was created. It was finally declared as a Tiger Reserve in the 1978. In 1991, the park was brought under the Project Elephant. The park was earlier also known by the name of Thekkady WildlifeSanctuary.
Formed in 1895, with the building of a dam, the Periyar Lake today is a major source of water for the resident animals and birds. About three fourth of the sanctuary is covered with evergreen and semi evergreen rain forests and the rest one fourth of the area is covered by Periyar River and Pamba River. The beauty of the lake and the environ of the sanctuary lapped under the mountains combined with the smell of fresh air coming from the moist deciduous forest is very soothing for the visitors and makes one long to return for more. It is one of the largest and most frequented reserves in India. No wonder this sanctuary is known as the pride of Kerala.
Periyar is home to the most exotic of the flora and fauna. It houses around 62 species of animals, ranging from the most ferocious Tiger to the most peaceful Deer. There are around 35-50 tigers in the Periyar sanctuary and most of the tourists come here to get a glimpse of these tigers moving around in the forest. The other animal of interest to the tourists is the Indian Elephant. It is a wonderment watching this huge animal playing recklessly by the Periyar lake. There are about one thousand elephants in this sanctuary. Other animals that could be seen here are Leopards, Common Langurs, Mouse Deer, Malabar Squirrel, Indian wild Dogs, Nilgiri Langurs, Lion Tailed Macaque, and porcupines, Bonnet Wild Boar, Sambar, Macaques, Nilgiri Tahr, Dhole and Barking Deer. Talking about the reptile population of the park, there are 45 species of them here, including a variety of snakes, turtles and lizards. King Cobras and Pythons, the two very poisonous snakes are a common sight in the park.
Speaking of birds, there are about 180 species of them, including Kingfishers, Darters, Cormorants, the great Malabar Hornbill and racket-tailed Drongoes. Tourists who are interested in spotting these birds should carry binoculars with them.
Best time to visit this park is between the months of November to May. This is because during this period the waterholes inside the forest areas dry up and the inhabitant animals come up to the lake to drink water and take bath in the waters. Therefore, the chances of sighting wild animals are enhanced during these months.
On a tour to Thekkady or Periyar sanctuary, one should not miss the boat cruise in the lake. This way one can both enjoy the beauty of the Periyar Lake and sight see wild animals while enjoying a boating trip. Although it is normally not possible to see many animals from the boat, still you can spot a family of Elephants, Wild Boar, and Sambar Deer by the lake. The upper deck is best for wildlife viewing when taking a boat cruise
One can also do Trekking and Jeep safaris in the sanctuary. Trekking, especially night trekking is an exciting option for all those who have the energy level for carrying out such an expedition. Prior permission needs to be obtained for this purpose from the forest department. They will sent armed guards with you for your safety to guide you and to prevent you from getting lost in the forest area.
The other exciting option for adventurous tourists is bamboo rafting. Spotting animals from bamboo raft is perfectly safe and if you are lucky, you can even sight Tigers while on the bamboo raft. Another option of enjoyment in Periyar is elephant riding and Nature walk. In Nature walk, the tourists, accompanied by forest officials, go on a walking expedition around Lake Periyar. This provides a satisfaction of roaming around in the park inhabited by numerous animals. Do ask your tour operator to give you a list of options available so that you can select one based on your liking or energy level.
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