About Periyar
Wildlife Sanctuary:
Periyar National Park is
situated in the hills of the Western Ghats in
the state of Kerala in SW India. The centre
piece of Periyar National park
is the 5,500-hectare Periyar lake formed by
the construction of a dam on the
Periyar river in 1895.The dam
submerged low-lying forest whose dead tree
trunks still jut out of the waters. Along the
fringes of the lake are marshy areas with tall
grasslands. This is one of the richest
habitats of large mammals, as it provides both
excellent cover and nourishment in the form of
succulent shoots and grasses. Here it is
possible to see large herds of Indian Elephant
with relative ease as well as Nilgiri Langur
near Aranya Niwas and the Liontail Macaque in
higher areas.
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The forests are tropical, a mixture of
deciduous, semi-evergreen, and evergreen ‘sholas’,
the last occurring in the moist valleys and
characterised by tall trees and a closed
canopy. The forests alternate with extensive
patches of grasslands. Periyar’s rich bird
life includes the Giant Hornbill, Cormorant,
Darter, Osprey and Racket-tailed Drongo. The
Indian Python and King Cobra are among the
reptilian fauna. Periyar has a few Nilgiri
Tahr, good numbers of which may also be seen
on a day excursion to nearby
Eravikulam National Park near Munnar.
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Main Fauna in Periyar:
In Periyar Tiger Reserve 49 species of
mammals, 265 species of birds, 36 species of
reptiles, 12 species of amphibians, 35 species
of fishes and 160 species of butterflies have
been identified so far. Some important mammals
are tiger, leopard, elephant, gaur, sambar,
wild dog, barking deer, lion tailed macaque,
Nilgiri langur and Nilgiri tahr.
Main flora found in
Periyar:
Periyar Widllife Sanctuary boasts a quite rich
and diverse flora. The flora in Periyar
National Park chiefly comprises of Tropical
Evergreen forests (30,500ha) and
Semi-evergreen forests (27,500ha) around the
reservoir, and Moist-deciduous forests and
Woody grasslands in the central part of the
park.
The major flora in the park include the Teak,
Rosewood, Terminalia, Eucalyptus, Sandalwood,
Jacaranda (a hardwood timber tree with purple
flowers), Mango, Jamun, Tamarind, Banyan,
Pipal, Plumeria, Gulmohar and Bamboo among
many others. The thick vegetation of the
Periyar wildlife sanctuary provides both
excellent cover and nourishment in the form of
succulent shoots and grasses.
Other General
Information on Periyar Sanctuary
Longitude: 76°57' and 77°25'
E
Latitude: 9°16' and 9°36' N
Altitude: 100m. to 2016 m.
above msl.
Rainfall: 2500 mm.
Temperature: Minimum: 15°C,
Maximum: 31°C
Season(Periyar National Park)
Monsoon:
Southwest and Northeast
monsoon with maximum rainfall in July and
minimum in January.
Summer: April-May
Winter: December-January
Access (Periyar Wildlife
Sanctuary):
Fly to Cochin and drive to Periyar (200 km).
The nearest railway station is Kottayam (114
km).
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