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PERIYAR
WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
If you go to Periyar hoping to see tiger,
you’re almost certain to be disappointed. The great cats require an
enormous amount of territory on which to lead their solitary lives and
it’s estimated the 777-sq –km sanctuary has about 35 tigers and
leopards. If, on the other had, you treat Periyar as pleasant escape
from the rigours of Indian travel, a nice place to cruise on the lake,
and an opportunity to see some wildlife and enjoy a jungle walk, then
you will probably find a visit well worthwhile. The park encompasses
a26-sq-km artificial lake, created by the British in 1895 to provide
water to Madurai, and spreads into Tamil Nadu. It is home to bison,
antelopes, a sambhar, wild boars, monkeys, langurs, a wide variety of
birds, and some 750 elephants.
VISITING
THE PARK
Boat trips on the lake are the standard way of
seeing the sanctuary, but spend one day at Periyar and take a midday
boat trip and you’re unlikely to see anything.’ As soon as a shy
animal sticks its head up’, reported one visitor. ‘all aboard
shout and scream until it goes again’. The standard two-hour boat
first trip (7 am) and last (4 pm) departures offer the best wildlife
spotting prospects. It’s better to get a small group together (the
smaller the better) and charter your own boat.
Jungle walks can also be interesting. A daily three-hour walk
departs early in the morning. Guides can also be arranged from the
Wildlife Information Centre for walks further into the park.
Curiously, they don’t promote this activity, so you must ask
insistently about it. Visitors are not allowed to walk in the park
without an accompanying guide. Some of the guides are very
knowledgeable and they’re certainly cautions in area where animals
may be present. Turning a blind corner and stumbling into a wild
elephant is not a wise idea.
The third way to see
wildlife is to spend a night in one of the observation towers,
although these are often booked out weeks in advance.
The best time to visit the sanctuary is between September and
May. The hot season (February to May) may be less comfortable but will
offer more wildlife sightings because in the hot season other water
sources dry up and the wildlife is forced to come down to the
lakeside.
Mangaladevi
Temple
This temple, 13 km from Kumily, is just a jumble
of ruins but the views are magnificent. At present, the road to the
temple is closed. If it reopens, it’s possible to get there be
rented jeep or by bicycle- although it’s uphill all the way from
Kumily. By jeep from Kumily, count on a three to four-hour round trip,
including a lunch stop.
OTHER
SANCTUARIES
Thattekkad
Bird Sanctuaries
This sanctuary is 20 km from Kothamangalam, on
the Ernakulam to Munnar road. It’s home to Malabar grey hornbills,
woodpeckers, parakeets, and rarer species like the Sri Lankan
frogmouth and rose-billed roller. Boat cruises are available from
Boothathankettu to Thattekkad. The best time to visit is from 5 to 6
am.
Parambikulam
Wildlife Sanctuary
The Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, 48 km south
of Palakkad, stretches around the Parambikulam, Thunakadavu and
Peruvaripallam dams, and covers an area of 285 sq km adjacent to the
Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. It’s home to elephants,
bison, gaur, sloth bears, wild boars, sambars, chital, crocodiles and
a few tigers and panthers. The sanctuary is open all year, but is best
avoided from June to August due to the monsoon.
The best access to the sanctuary is by bus from Pollachi (40km
from Coimbatore and 49 km from Palakkad). There are four buses in
either direction between Pollachi and Parambikulam daily. The trip
takes two hours. Boat cruises operates from Parambikulam and rowboats
can be hired at Thunakadavu.
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