Kerala, the land of mountains, rivers,
lakes, backwaters, has numerous national parks and sanctuaries. Travel to
Kerala Wildlife - the most treasured places to sight some very uncommon
species in their natural habitats. Some of the finest Wildlife sanctuaries
and National Parks in Kerala are nestled in the lush forests of the Western
ghats. Kerala wildlife is a must-see for all visitors who are interested in
taking a detour from the usual backwater and beaches tours. The land of
Kerala is a true paradise for the wildlife lovers. The Kerala forests are
indeed some of the most magnificent and varied forests found anywhere in the
world. The Western Ghats bordering Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are home to the
majority of Kerala’s forests and wildlife.
The Wildlife Sanctuaries of Kerala are very well protected natural shelters
for the wildlife. The Wildlife Parks, Reserves, Sanctuaries and National
Parks stretch from the southern tip of Kerala to the Northern Border with
Karnataka. Kerala has an amazing variety of wildlife spread across its vast
expanse of tropical forests. The forests range from lowland rainforests to
high latitude montane forests to dry deciduous forests. The thick and dense
vegetation make it a bit difficult for animal sighting. So the jeep safaris
and trekking into the forests are best options for watching the wildlife.
There is a vast range of wildlife species in the Kerala forests and parks.
Some of the unique wild animals that tourists can see on tours of Kerala are
the Asiatic Elephants, Nilgiri Tahr, Tigers, Leopards, Lion-tailed Macaque,
Deer, Monkeys, Civet cats, Squirrels including the Malabar giant squirrel.
Different varieties of birds which can be seen here include Woodpeckers,
Malabar Hornbills, Kingfishers, Cormorants, Darters, Plovers, and Brahminy
Kites. On the shoreline of Kerala backwaters and Kerala beaches you can come
across many species of crabs, mudskippers, turtles crocodiles.
The national parks and sanctuaries are very well managed in Kerala. Periyar
Wildlife Sanctuary, Wynad Wildlife Sanctuary, Silent Valley National Park,
Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Idukki Wildlife
Park, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Peppara
Wildlife Sanctuary, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, are the sites for the
wildlife lovers. The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is home to some 800 Asiatic
Elephants. Among the unusual species found at Periyar include the flying
lizard and the flying snake. The Wynad Wildlife Sanctuary is a natural
shelter of deer, elephants, and Gaur. Many types of monkeys are also seen,
as well as those elusive animals, such as the Slender Loris. The Silent
Valley National Park houses Elephants, tigers, wild dog, flying squirrel and
lion-tailed macaque. In the Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, the most notable of
the birds are Malabar grey hornbill, grey jungle fowl, heron, woodpecker,
rose winged and blue winged parakeet. Rare birds like Ceylon frog-mouth,
rose billed roller are also seen.
The Kerala-wildlife sites add an extra bit of excitement when you holiday
in Kerala. The wildlife sanctuaries & parks in Kerala are unique in
their own sense and all are worth visiting while travelling Kerala. Whether
on adventure safari on elephants’ back or in jeeps, travelling through
thick green forests of Kerala’s wildlife sanctuaries and parks is the
most enchanting and adventurous experience.
