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Elephants at Periyar |
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Periyar National Park in the Southern most state of Kerala ,
is one of the twenty seven Project Tiger reserves in India, and one
of the most picturesque and beautiful wildlife sanctuaries in the
world. With its waterways, forests and grasslands, it provides a
magnificent venue for both mammal and bird watching. Despite the
destruction of much of the lowland forest within the reserve as a
result of the construction of a dam across the Periyar River in
1895, its 777 square kilometres provide a haven for a wide range of
mammals,including Tiger, Elephant, Gaur, Sloth bear, Leopard, Dhole,
and Nilgiri Langur.
Periyar National Park also has a rich and varied bird fauna and we
will be hoping to see several of the species found only in southern
India and Sri Lanka, such as Grey Junglefowl, Malabar Grey Hornbill,
Malabar Parakeet, White-cheeked Barbet, Crimsonfronted Barbet,
Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike, Heart-Spotted Woodpecker, Rufous
Babbler, White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, Rufous-tailed Flycatcher,
Ruby-throated Bulbul and White-bellied Treepie.
Game viewing in Periyar National Park is done on Boats. The boat
journeys on the lake Periyar provide unrivalled opportunities for
observing mammals, particularly Elephant, at close range. Other
mammals in abundance in Periyar National Park include Sambar,
Nilgiri Langur, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Three-striped Palm Squirrel
and Bonnet Macaque. Tiger sightings are relatively rare in Periyar,
since game viewing is by boat and the big cats have sufficient cover
to hide themselves. Another interesting activity in Periyar National
Park is guided Jungle treks that are possible almost all day, and
even late at night.
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Tiger at Periyar |
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Game rides in Periyar National Park
Game rides in Periyar National Park are conducted by boat. It is
also possible to take guided Jungle walks.
Visiting Periyar
The Periyar National Park is open all year round. The winter months
from October to February are exceedingly pleasant, and considered
the best time to go.The summer, from March to May , though it may be
pretty hot, is a great time to see wildlife.
Getting to Periyar
Periyar is located about 200 kms/4 hours away from Cochin.
