The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary being established in year 1934 was known as the Nelliampatty Sanctuary and following its enlargement in 1950 it came to be known by its present name. The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary got the declaration of a tiger reserve in 1978 under the Project Tiger Plan and it achieved the national park status in 1982 and is recognized as the most scenic national park in South India with thousands of wildlife appreciators visiting this wildlife reserve every year from all over the world.
The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is also reputed for offering geographically diverse features like those of geomorphology and climate supporting the plethora of flora and fauna in the wildlife reserve. The parks terrain is mainly undulated and also features narrow water streams and the eastern boundaries of the park is formed by the 90 km long and high ridge of the Western Ghats which also separates the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu but the Periyar Lake forms the primal geographical feature covering an area of 26 sq km and located centrally in the park is known to be a permanent water source for the area. The coverage of the National Park in Periyar is approximately 360 sq km and mainly comprises of thick evergreen forests which feature mostly the moist deciduous forests and savannah grasslands and this makes this region one of the best habitats for animals and mammals.
The wildlife in this Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary comprises of Asian Elephants, Tigers, Gaurs, Sambars, Lion-tailed Macaques, Nilgiri Langurs, Wild Boars, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Stripe-necked Mongoose, Wild Dogs, Sloth Bears, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Civet, Nilgiri Tahr while the bird species in this wildlife reserve features more than 260 species and among them the major species being Nilgiri Wood Pigeons, Black-winged Kite, Blue-winged Parakeets, Great Indian Hornbill, White-bellied Tree Pies, Laughing Thrushes, Fly Catchers, Darters, Cormorants, Barbets and Plovers. The tour operators take the adventure tourists and wildlife photographers around this park through elephant rides etc. October to June is known to be the best season for one to visit Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Know more about the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary only with indiatouroperator.com offering information about India Wildlife Sanctuary Tour.
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