Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Location	Idukki, India
Nearest city	Kochi, India
Coordinates	9°28′0″N, 78°10′0″E
Area	305 km²
Established	1982
Visitation	180,000 (in 1986)

Periyar is a protected area, and a Project Tiger nature reserve in the South Indian State of Kerala, set high in the mountains of the Western Ghats at the border to Tamil Nadu. It lies in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta . The protected area covers an area of 777 km², out of which a 350 km² part of the core zone was made into the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve, sometimes dubbed the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. The park is often called by the name thekkady also. Thekkady is located four km from Kumily, approximately 100 km east of Alappuzha, 110 km west of Madurai and 120 km southeast from Kochi.

Sightseeing at Periyar

The Flora
Some of the deeper valleys contain tropical evergreen forest with extremely thick tree cover that even bright sunlight finds hard to penetrate. These trees that have grown to amazing heights of up to 130-140 feet seems to having being there forever. The few level areas in the park contains marshy grasslands near the edges of the lake and other water bodies. Spread out across the park are also patches of semi-evergreen forest used as important cover by many of the animal species

The Fauna

Apart from Elephants, the other animals to be seen in the Periyar sanctuary Kerala are Gaur, Wild Pigs, Sambar, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Dole or Indian Wild Dog and very rarely, a Tiger. There are, now, an estimated 40 tigers in the Periyar national Park. Four species of primates are found at Periyar - the rare lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri Langur, Common Langur And Bonnet Macaque. Periyar also happens to be the habitat of the elusive Nilgiri Tahr, which is rarely to be seen.

The Avifauna
The birdlife comprises of Darters, Cormorants, Kingfishers, the great Malabar Hornbill and racket-tailed Drongoes.

The Reptiles
The reptilian population boasts of Monitor Lizards that can be seen basking in the sun, on the rocks along the lakeshore. Visitors who trek into the Periyar national park often see a Python and sometimes even a King Cobra.

Trips in the Periyar Wildlife Santuary

Boat Cruises

Boat Cruises
Boat cruises make the best option to check out the wilds of Periyar Sanctuary, as the Periyar lake presents an excellent boating spot for tourists today. Although it is uneasy to see many animals from the boats, still you come across a family of Elephants, Wild Boar, and Sambar Deer by the water's edge.

Reaching Periyar

Air : Kochi (Cochin) at 200 km or Madurai in Tamil Nadu at 140 km are the nearest airports from Periyar.

Rail : Kottayam at 114 km is the nearest railhead from Periyar.

Road : Kumily, the nearest town from Periyar is well served by both state and private buses from Kottayam, Ernakulam and Madurai in Tamil Nadu.