Kerala Wildlife Display Its Rich Flora And Fauna

By Author: Vijay Joshi
Total Articles: 60
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Located in the Malabar Coast of south western India, Kerala is a prime tourism destination. Kerala can be called darling of heavens for its numerous blessings it have received from nature. This predominantly verdant region is nestled between Western Ghats and Arabian Sea. Kerala is known for its beaches, hill stations, wild life sanctuaries, backwaters and art forms. Kerala has a rich, colorful and diverse assortment of attractions to boast of.

Kerala is endowed with exotic flora and fauna. At a point of time because of rampant urbanization the forest resources of Kerala was dwindling. The government woke up to the danger and has declared many wildlife sanctuaries and National parks, in order to preserve the flora and fauna. The Kerala wildlife sanctuaries are Peppara wildlife sanctuary, Neyyar wildlife sanctuary, Shenduruni wildlife sanctuary, Periyar wild life sanctuary, Idukki wildlife sanctuary, Chinnar wildlife sanctuary, Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary, Aralam wildlife sanctuary, Muthanga wildlife sanctuary, Kadalundi bird sanctuary, Thattekad bird sanctuary and Kumarakom bird sanctuary. There are also two national ...
... parks – Silent Valley national park and Eravikulam national park.

Because of its rich variety of flora and fauna, Peppara wildlife sanctuary can be called a gene pool sanctuary. The boat ride in the lake formed by Peppara dam is a rewarding experience. Neyyar wildlife sanctuary is spread over the south east corner of the Western Ghats. It is the drainage basin for the Neyyar river and its tributaries. The diversity of flora in the sanctuary makes it an ideal gene pool reserve. There is also a Crocodile farm at Neyyar. Shenduruni wildlife sanctuary offers an ideal specimen of west coast tropical evergreen forest.

The Periyar wildlife sanctuary and tiger reserve is vast and consists of dense evergreen, semi- evergreen, moist deciduous forests and savanna grass lands. It homes among many other animals Tigers and Elephants. Idukki wildlife sanctuary occupies the forest land between Cheruthoni and Periyar rivers. There is a scenic lake around the sanctuary which offers boat rides. Chinnar wildlife sanctuary is near Marayoor in Idukki district. There are eleven tribal settlements in the sanctuary.

Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary is in Palakkad district and Muthanga in the Wayanad district. Aralam wildlife sanctuary is the northernmost of Kerala in Kannur district.

Kadalundi bird sanctuary lies in the Malappuram district. It spans over a cluster of islands where Kadalundipuzha river converges with Arabian Sea. It has over hundred species of native birds and about sixty species of migratory birds visit seasonally.

Thattekad bird sanctuary near Kochi is one of the important bird sanctuaries of India. The region is evergreen low-land forest and is located between branches of Periyar river.

Kumarakom bird sanctuary is spread over fourteen acres and is located on the banks of Vembanad Lake. The sanctuary is frequented by migratory birds including Siberian Crane.

The Silent Valley National Park is a unique preserve of natural rainforests. Eravikulam National Park is an ideal place for witnessing the biodiversity of high elevation shola- grassland ecosystem. It is the grazing ground for Nilgiri Tahrs – an endangered species.

Kerala celebrates the festivals of various communities with equal fervor. Onam is the national festival of Kerala. There are boat races conducted in Kerala during this time. People make flower beds in front of houses and sing and dance around them.

The two Kerala festivals of tourism importance are Thrissur Pooram and Nenmara Vela.

Vijay Joshi is an eminent analyst and writer in Travel & Tours related topics. He has authored many books on Kerala wildlife sanctuaries and kerala tourism. Find more information at http://www.tourismkerala.org.in/.