| Nestled in the lush forests of the Western ghats in Kerala are 12 Wildlife sanctuaries and two National Parks |
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| The following are the Wildlife Sanctuaries / National Parks in Kerela |
| 1 . Peppara Wildlife sanctuary |
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2 . Neyyar Wildlife sanctuary |
| 3 . Shenduruni Wildlife sanctuary |
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4 . Periyar Wildlife sanctuary |
| 5 . Idduki Wildlife sanctuary |
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6 . Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary |
| 7 . Parambikulam Wildlife sanctuary |
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8 . Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary |
| 9 . Muthanga Wildlife sanctuary |
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10 . Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary |
| 11 . Thattekad Bird Sanctuary |
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12 . Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary |
| 13 . Silent Valley National Park |
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14 . Eravikulam National Park |
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| Eravikulam National Park |
| A sanctuary for the endangered mountain goat of South India, the Nilgiri Tahr (Hemitragus hylocrious), the Eravikulam National Park stands out for the stark beauty of its rolling grasslands and sholas, spread over 97 sq km in the Rajamalai hills. |
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| Anamudi, the highest peak (2695 m) South of the Himalayas, towers over the sanctuary in majestic pride. The slopes of the hills abound in all kinds of rare flora and fauna. The Atlas moth, the largest of its kind in the world, is a unique inhabitant of the park. Other rare species of fauna found here are the Nilgiri Langur, the Lion-tailed macaque, leopards and tigers. |
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| Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary |
| The pride of Kerala and a testimony to nature's splendour and human innovation, the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is situated on the banks of the Periyar Lake - an artificial lake, at Thekkady. Here the high ranges of the Western Ghats are clothed in dense evergreen, moist deciduous forests and savannah grasslands. Below this thick green canopy roam herds of elephants, sambars, tigers, gaurs, lion tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs. |
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| In addition to elephant rides, cruises on the lake and treks to the ruined Mangaladevi temple - a beautiful old stone temple situated in the heart of the Thekkady forest; this sanctuary offers the unique opportunity to watch and photograph wild elephants at close quarters. |
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| Silent Valley National Park |
| The Silent Valley National Park with an area of 90 sq km is located in the Northeastern corner of Palakkad district. It rises abruptly to the Nilgiri Plateau in the North and overlooks the plains of Mannarkkad in the South. |
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| The core of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is the Silent Valley National Park. Despite its name, the Silent Valley (the clamour of Cicadas is conspicuously absent here) echoes with the sounds of teeming wildlife. The denizens of this sprawling habitat of endangered virgin tropical forests include rare birds, deer and tiger. |
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| Main animals in the sanctuaries of Kerela are |
| Elephants, gaur, sambar, deer, wild dogs, jungle cats, tigers, wild boars, sloth bears, leopards, lion tailed macaques, Nilgiri Tahrs, langur, malabar giant squirrel, flying squirrel, tiger,panthers, spotted deer, grizzled giant squirrels, Hanuman langurs, peacocks, star tortoises, wild dogs, civet cats, The Atlas moth, bonnet, macaques, Loris, mongoose, foxen, bears, barking deer, pangolins, bison, bears etc.. |
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| The Reptiles found in the sanctuaries of Kerala are |
| Cobra, Viper, krait, a number of non poisonous snakes, bicoloured frogs, crocodiles, varanur pond terrapins, cane turtles, star tortoises, geckoes, skunks, chameleons, spectacled cobras, pythons, green keel backs, rat snakes, vine snakes, monitor lizards etc.. |
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| Main birds seen in the sanctuaries of Kerela are |
| Water fowl, Cuckoo, Owl, Egret, Heron, Water duck, Migratory Siberian Duck, Jungle fowls, Mynas, Laughing thrushes, Black bulbuls, Peafowls, Woodpeckers, Kingfishers, The hornbill, Stork, Raptor, Darter, Cormorant, Grackle, Cluster, Indian rollers, Common snipes, Crow pheasants, Jungle nightjars, Kites, Grey drongos, Malabar trogons, Llarge pied wagtails, Baya sparrows, Grey jungle fowls, Indian hill mynas, Robins, Jungle babblers, Sunbirds, Peacocks, Crimson-throated barbets, Bee-eaters, Shrikes, Fairy bluebirds, Grey-headed fishing eagles, Black winged kites, Night herons, Grey hornbills, Malabar hornbills and more than 253 additional species including migrant birds |
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| Main flora in the sanctuaries of Kerela are |
| Teak, maruthu, karimaruthi, rosewood, venteak, vengal, chadachi, mazhukanjiram, bamboo, neem, nanjanathi, sandal, dendrocalamus, marythu, vaka, , mulluvenka. elavu, manjakadambu pala, vembu, aval etc... and over 1800 flowering plants including 171 grass species, 143 species of orchids etc.. |
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