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A wildlife sanctuary, also known as a wildlife refuge, may be a habitat that’s formed naturally and protects species from predation, competition or hunting. Heading for a tour of the Kerala wildlife sanctuaries is a great way for tourists to see both common and endangered wildlife in their natural habitat. In the wildlife sanctuaries spread across Kerala, one can find many types of mammals, birds, and reptiles.
 The Idukki wildlife sanctuary is surrounded by a lake on three sides and is home to a great number of bisons, deers, jungle cats, Nilgari langurs, wild boars, jackals, elephants and leopards. Close to 200 species of birds can be found in the sanctuary. A few examples of them are the jungle fowl, laughing thrush, woodpecker, black bulbul and myna. Other popular Kerala wildlife sanctuaries include those in Periyar, Kumarakom, Thattekad, Neyyar Dam, Wayanad, Peppara, and Rajamala.
The Periyar wildlife sanctuary is an elephant paradise and also has almost 800 playful pachyderms. Other animals that can be seen in Periyar include the leopard, mouse deer, wild boar, squirrel, sloth bear, porcupine, bonnet macaque, sambhar, gaur, and porcupine.
Local and migratory birds are the main attractions of the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary. Migratory birds which come to the sanctuary include parrots, larks, flycatchers, wood beetles, and teals. Features that attract tourists to the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary near Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) are a centre for rearing crocodiles, a lion safari park, and a deer farm.
In the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, one can spot elephants, tigers, wild bears, cheetahs, bison, spotted deer and other animals. The Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary comprises three important belts of forests, namely the mixed wet deciduous forests, the partially evergreen forests, and the evergreen tropical forests. Wildlife commonly found in this sanctuary includes panthers, elephants, lion tailed macaques, barking deers, gaurs, elephants, and wild boars.
Anyone who participates in a wildlife safari to the various Kerala wildlife sanctuaries can experience firsthand the exotic wildlife that inhabits the dense forest grasslands. The range of colors, species and eating habits of the wildlife here can attract the interests of vacationers of all age groups, apart from the devout wildlife fans. |
