Wildlife in Kerala
Kerala is home to many rare and special forms of animal, bird and marine life. The wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala provide refuge to different forms of wildlife in Kerala and provide tourists with an opportunity to see these rare creatures in their natural surroundings.
Some of the unique wild animals that tourists can see on tours of Kerala, with Kerala Backwater are elephants, Nilgiri Tahr, tigers, leopards, lion-tailed macaque, deer, monkeys, civet cats, squirrels including the Malabar giant squirrel. You can see different varieties of birds including woodpeckers, Malabar hornbills, kingfishers, cormorants, darters, plovers, and brahminy kites along the backwaters of Kerala. You're also likely to see many species of butterflies and moths, flutter by as you float along a Kerala Backwater.
Some of the wildlife sanctuaries you will see in Kerala with Kerala Backwater are:
Periyar Tiger Reserve :
Periyar Tiger Reserve, 777 sq km in area is set in a rich, mixed deciduous forest, interspersed with open areas of tall grass. Periyar has a splendid artificial lake dotted with snags of dead wood, which provide a perch for water birds; darter, grey heron, egret and kingfisher. It is one of the finest habitats for the Asiatic elephant. These enormous mammals swim in the waters and streams and usually they can be observed during the boat ride. Periyar also holds, apart from Tiger leopard, sambar, wild dog, barking deer, the lion tailed macaque, the Nilgiri langur. The forest harbours a variety of woodland birds. Boat travel is the only means of transport in the Sanctuary.
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary was declared a Project Tiger reserve in 1978 and is one of the most beautiful wildlife sanctuaries in India. Its unique ecosystem which consists of thick moist deciduous vegetation, dense evergreen forests and the aquatic environment of the Periyar Lake make Periyar a unique and precious wildlife resource.
Silent Valley National Park :
Silent Valley National Park is situated in the Palakkad district of Kerala. Silent Valley in Kerala is considered India's last area of tropical evergreen rain forest and is a precious biodiversity resource. Situated in the Kundali Hills, 40 Km from Mannarkkad, in the Western Ghats in Kerala, Silent Valley National Park was declared a National Park in 1980 and is the core area of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Called Silent Valley because the loud calls of Cicadas heard elsewhere in this region are not heard here, Silent Valley has an amazing range of wildlife. Tigers, deer, and mammals native to the South Indian Peninsula, such as the Nilgiri Langur, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Lion-Tailed Macaque, Flying squirrel and Civet Cat are found in Silent Valley National Park.
Eravikulam National Park :
Eravikulam National Park is 97 sq. km. in extent, situated along the crest of the Western Ghats in the High Ranges of Idukki district of Kerala state, India. The Park holds the largest viable population of the endangered (IUCN) Nilgiri Tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius). Apart from tahr, the Park is the abode of other little known fauna such as Nilgiri marten, ruddy mongoose,small clawed otter,dusky striped sqirrel etc.
Among the hills in Eravikulam National Park is Anaimudi the tallest peak in South India, which rises to a height of 2694 m. Its name means the tuft of an elephant and refers to the hairy top of an elephant's head. The climate in Eravikulam national park is pleasant year round. It rains very heavily during the monsoon and inters can be frosty but days are mild and excellent for touring the sanctuary and observing animals in their natural state.
