Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Famous For

Indian Elephants

It is the herds of Indian elephants that allure the tourists from far and wide.

Getting There

By Air : Cochin( 200kms) and Madurai(140kms).

By Road : Nearest town from Periyar is Kumily and it is well connected by excellent roads.

By Rail : Nearest railhead from Periyar is Kottayam(114kms)

Did You Know?

• The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is also famous as Thekkady.
• The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1982.
• There are 320 bird species found in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Dr. Salim Ali has described this park as ““the richest bird habitat on penninsular India”.

Attractions

Flora

Tourists can see vegetation consisting mainly of deciduous, tropical evergreen and savannah grasslands. Forest is very dence and tourists can find trees like Teak, Rosewood, Terminalia, Eucalyptus, Sandalwood, Jacaranda, Mango, Jamun, Tamarind, Banyan, Pipal, Plumeria, Gulmohar and Bamboo and many more. Elephant grass forms the main vegetation of the sanctuary.

Fauna

Elephants are the prime attractions of this wildlife sanctuary. Tigers, Gaurs, Otters, Nilgiri Langurs, Bonnet Macaques, Sambars, Lion-tailed Macaques, Wild Boars, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Spotted Deer, Stripe-necked Mongoose, Wild Boar, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Civet, Dhole, Sloth Bears, Porcupines, Gaurs, Nilgiri Tahr, Monitor Lizards, Pythons and King Cobra makes a thrilling experience.

Avifauna

This sanctuary is home to around 260 species of native as well as migratory birds. Cormorants, Ospreys, Darters, Ibises, Gray herons, Kingfishers, Racket Tailed Drongos, Fish owls, Mynas, Flycatchers, Orioles, Wood pigeons, Thrushes, Kites, Great Hornbills, Gray Hornbills, Hill Mynahs, Grey Herons, White Egrets and Parakeets makes the bird watchers happy and excited.

Major Attractions

Kumily

This town is situated 4kms away from Periyar and is famous for spices. Handloom fabrics, rosewood and sandalwood items, batiks, silks and antiques and also draws tourists to Kumily.

Murikkady

Is famous for cardamom, coffee and pepper plantations.

Mangala Devi Temple

This ancient temple is situated in the thick forest at an altitude of 1337m above sea level.

Watch Tower

This is the ideal spot built with in the sanctuary to see the rich and diverse flora and fauna of the sanctuary.
Vandanmedu, Vandiperiyar, Pullumedu are some of beautiful places which must be visited.

Location

It is spread on a wide landscape of 780sq km on the Western Ghats and is 140kms away from Madurai.

Best time to Visit

October to June is perfect to plan a trip to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.