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Idukki - Thekkady
- Periyar Tiger Reserve |
 The
very sound of the name conjures up images of elephants,unending
chains of hills and spice scented plantations. Here,
in the crisp, cool air of the western ghats you will
experience the most enchanting holiday with the animals
of the wild and the simple unsophisticated mountain
people. In the Periyar forest of Thekkady is one of
the finest wildlife reserves in India, and spread across
the entire district are picturesque plantations and
hill towns that hold great oppurtunities for treks and
mountain walks. |
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Periyar Tiger Reserve |
 The
Periyar Tiger Reserve, named after the Periyar river,
is one of Kerala's prestigious possessions on the high
ranges of the western ghats. Falling in the Idukki district
of Kerala, this forest reserve surrounds the Periyar
Lake, which was created in 1895 by building a dam across
the Periyar river (to divert the water to Tamil Nadu
for irrigation). The forests around the lake were declared
as reserved forests in 1899. The Maharaja of Travancore,
realising the significance of conservation, appointed
Mr. S.C.H. Robinson as the first game warden. Based
on his recommendations the forests around the lake were
turned into a sanctuary in 1934 and christened Nellikkampetty
sanctuary. The sanctuary which was a game reserve merged
with the forest department in 1966. It was declared
a Tiger Reserve in 1978 under the "Project Tiger"
scheme. In 1982 the core area of the reserve (350 sq.
km.) was notified as National Park. The Reserve covers
hills and verdant forests extending over an area of
777 sq. km. The Periyar lake, the nucleus of the sanctuary
is about 26 sq. km. in extent. The elevation ranges
varies from 900 M to 2019 M.
 The
forests of Periyar can be divided into four categories.
The open grasslands are home to the elephants, the bison
and herds of deer. The moist deciduous forest is dominated
by trees like Terminalia and Teak which shed their leaves
seasonally. The semi-evergreen forest occurs along wet
stream areas and is often adjacent to the tropical evergreen
forest. Lastly, the 'sholas' or tropical evergreen jungle
which is typical of the entire western ghats in the
state, abounds in this Reserve .
The varied habitat in the sanctuary supports a number
of species of terrestrial and aquatic animals. Apart
from the elephants other herbivores in the reserve are
gaur, sambar deer, barking deer, mouse deer, nilgiri
langur, bonnet macaque, lion-tailed macaque tiger, leopard,
jungle cat, wild dog, etc.Other important animals found
are bear, porcupine, jackal, Indian giant squirrel,
malabar flying squirrel, wild boar, small Indian civet,
mongoose and the pangoline.
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Tiger |
 The
tiger is the main predator in the Periyar tiger reserve.
An estimated 40 of these magnificent beasts inhabit
the reserve. The Indian tiger is a large animal averaging
a little less than 3m. in length. This great cat is
a solitary animal except when courting or when a tigress
is with her cubs. The cubs only leave their mother after
reaching maturity at the age of about 2 years. Tigers
hunt on the large herbivores including sambar and other
deer, gaur, wild boar etc. The tiger's beauty and strength
are beyond compare. No one can ever forget the first
sighting of this great cat in the wild . Even a brief
glance is an unforgettable experience. But it is a shy
and alert animal, hence difficult to see and observe
at ease. |
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Elaphant |
 Elephants
live in herds with a leader which is often an old and
experienced cow. A herd also has a master bull which
dominates other bulls. Not all bull elephants have tusks
and those without are called makhnas. Cow elephants
in India, unlike in Africa, do not have tusks. This
enormous animal is the largest of the land mammals.
It requires ten to fifteen hours of grazing everyday
to keep going. It feeds on grass, tree barks and so
on. The elephant is a very intelligent animal, has a
highly developed sense of smell and hearing but its
young are sometimes attacked by tigers; this is, however,
very rare as the herd defends its young extremely efficiently
and even ferociously. Man, of course, has hunted this
great animal for ivory for hundreds of years, but today
the elephant, found in many forests in India, is a protected
animal. |
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Malabar Squirrel |
The
beautiful malabar squirrel and flying squirrel are common
sights in this sanctuary. |
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Deer |
Deer
of some sort is usually found in abundance particularly
the spotted deer and the sambar deer. |
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The Wild Pig |
The
wild pig is an opportunistic feeder and is found in
large numbers. |
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Birds |
 Periyar
tiger reserve is rich in bird life. Birds such as malabar
hornbill, grey heron, jungle fowl and jungle mynah live
in the sanctuary. 266 species of birds are positively
recorded. Among the common aquatic birds are darter
or snake bird and cormorant. While swimming the snake-like
neck and beak remain above water. Fish is the main food.
Dabchick or little grebe, squat and tailless duck is
the local migrant and is the smallest swimming bird
of the locality. This expert diver feeds on aquatic
insects and tadpoles. White necked stork, feeds during
the day and roosts on trees at the night. During October-May,
the bird population explodes in Periyar. Lesser pied
king fisher is another common bird in the lake catching
fish that could be hunted from the water. Also it feeds
on tadpoles and aquatic insects and nests in horizontal
tunnels, dug on the bank of river, ending in an egg
chamber.
 Great
Indian hornbill is seen in evergreen areas. The largest
population in western ghats is at periyar and is noisy
and distinctive in flight. They nest on the natural
hole of trees, where the female sits almost closing
the hole and lays the eggs and remains there till incubation
is over. Male bird collects food and supplies to female
and the young ones till they are able to fly. The woodpecker
is the resident of the deciduous forest. Food is mainly
black ants and it nests in holes excavated on trees.
Brahminy kite is seen singly or in pairs and breeds
in the area and feeds on fish, frog and small snakes.
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Reptiles |
 Poisonous
snakes like cobras, vipers, kraits, and a number of
non poisonous snakes form the reptilian life of the
periyar reserve. Monitor lizards are also frequently
sighted in the forests. Pythons are regularly seen while
trekking and in the evergreen areas the king cobra is
sighted. |
| Usefull
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| Various
Maps... |
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