|
Home
>>
Places To Visit >>Wildlife of Kerala
Parambikulam
Wildlife Sanctuary - Kerala
The
Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is a reservoir of tranquil
greenery ensconced in a valley between the Annamalai ranges of Tamil
Nadu and the Nelliampathy ranges of Kerala. The areas hilly and
rocky, drained by several rivers, including the Parambikulam, the
Sholayar and the Thekkedy.
Thickly
forested with stands of bamboo, sandalwood, rosewood and teak, the
sanctuary has some marshy land and scattered patches of grassland.
Parambikulam was once home to some of south India's finest stands of
teak. Little remains of the original teak forests, other than the
famous Kannimari teak tree, the largest in Asia as most of these
have now been replaced by teak plantations. The tree is about 5 km
from Thunakadavu, and is one of Parambikulam's prime attractions.
Parambikulam
has one of the largest population of gaur (bison). It is also a home
to elephants, sloth bears, wild boars, sambhars, chital tigers,
panthers and crocodiles. There are also bonnet macaques, spectacled
cobras, kraits, vipers, turtles, darters, little cormorants and
black eagles.
Parambikulam
is open throughout the year, but is best avoided during the
monsoon. Between June and August, the monsoon rains lash, making
hillsides unstable and causing slush, mosquitoes, drippy roofs and
other nuisances. Boat cruises can be arranged in the Parambikulam
Reservoir. The rest house of the state forest department at
Thoonakkadavu, Thellikkal and Elathode offer comfortable lodging
facilities. A tree - house in the reserved forest area in
Thoonakkadavu has to be booked in advance.
How
to get there
Air: The nearest airport is Coimbatore, 55 kms.
Rail: The nearest railway station: Palakkad, 125 kms.
Fauna
Mammals: Bonnet macaque,
Liontailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, Loris, Tiger, Leopar, Jungle
cat, Civet, Mongoose, Fox, Bear, Elephant, Gaur, Nilgiri Tahr,
Spotted Deer, Sambar, Barking deer, Wild boar, Pangolin etc.
Reptiles:
Crocodile, Varanus, Pond Terapin, Cane Turtle, Gecko Skink,
Chameleon,Snakes like King Cobra, Spectacled Cobra, Krait, Viper,
Python,Green keel back, Rat snake, Vine snake etc.
Fishes
: Aral,bral,vattudi,thilopia, noori, mooshu, poochutti,
kollotty, exyprius,taral, etc.
Birds
: Darter, Little Cormorant, Black eagle, Lesser adjutant
stork, Black capped kingfisher, Great Indian hornbill, Broad billed
roller, Black woodpecker.
Administration: The sanctuary is
headed by a Divisional Forest Officer with headquarters at
Thunacadavu and is under the direct control of the Field Director,
Project Tiger. There are four ranges with 13 sections.
Wildlife Tourism: The sanctuary is
accessible by road. Buses ply between Pollachi and Parambikulam.
Pollachi is 60kms away and has a railway station. The nearest
airport is Coimbatore, 100kms away. Visitors can have boat rides in
the Parambikulam lake and tour the sanctuary with the help of
guides.
Accommodation: There is a forest
rest house at Thunacadavu. The parambikulam Project also provides
accommodation. There are several hotels in Pollachi and Coimbatore.
Useful Informations
Latitude
: 10°20' and 10° 26' N
Longitude : 76° 35' and 76° 50' E
Rainfall : Average -
1720 mm.
Wildlife
Silent
Valley National Park || Peppara
Wildlife Sanctuary
Mudumalai
Wildlife Sanctuary || Parambikulam
Wildlife Sanctuary
Periyar
Wildlife Sanctuary || Kumarakom
Bird Sanctuary || Idukki
Wildlife Sanctuary
|
