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| Sreesailam Wildlife Sanctuary |
Evolved out of different needs, the town of Srisailam is divided into three zones. Srisailam or the original pilgrim town centers round the age-old temples dedicated to Lord Mallikarjuna and Goddess Bhramaramba, incarnations of Shiva and Parvati.
A fairly stocked marketplace and several lodges for pilgrims lie alongside the temple quadrangle. About eight kilometers from the temple town is Sunnipenta, another ridge top where most offices and a few eating houses are located. Also located here is the office of the Project Tiger and the Field Director. The dam site on the river Krishna-the Srisailam Hydel Projects-makes up the third zone.
Nestling in the Nallamalai Hill ranges, an offshoot of the Eastern Ghats, with cliffs, gorges, ridges and plateaus, endowed with a variety of flora and fauna, the NSTR protects a large portion of the once flourishing ecological system that existed here. Without having the benefit of being an erstwhile royal game preserve, the forest in this area was always open to human visitation. Pilgrims from all over southern India carved out routes through the forest to reach Srisailam. It was in 1973 that the area was declared a sanctuary and incorporated under Project Tiger a decade later.
A little over 6 sq km in area, the Rollapadu grasslands near Srisailam are dotted with dry, thorny bushes and is home of about a hundred blackbucks. From a distance, one can observe families of blackbucks out on their breakfast trail, a couple of bustards gazing at the horizon while taking a tentive foot forward. At present, day visits to Rollapadu Sanctuary is permitted.
| Location |
Northeastern portion of the Nandikotkur Taluk of Kurnool District. |
| Distance |
Markapur (85 kms) |
| STD Code |
08596 |
| Language |
Telugu, Hindi, English |
| Climate / best Season/ Best Time To Visit |
November-May, the best period being December-March. |
| Entertainment |
Sightseeing in Sreesailam , bird watching |
| How to Reach |
Air: The nearest airport is at Hyderabad, 316 km away from Srisailam. Hyderabad is connected to many important cities in India including Delhi and Mumbai, the major international gateways.
Rail: Srisailam is connected through Hyderabad as well as via Markapur (85 km away) on the South Central Railway.
Road: Srisailam is 190 km from Kurnool, 220 km from Guntur, 470 km from Chennai, and 85 km from Mannanur.
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| Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve |
Mudumalai wildlife reserve is a continuation of the Bandipur National Park. The river Moyar that flows along the border or Tamil Nadu and Karnataka separates the two. The Mysore - Ooty highway runs through the park. The 321 sq. km. reserve is situated in Tamil Nadu.
Mudumalai wildlife reserve was the first sanctuary in south India. The terrain is extremely varied with hills, valleys, ravines, watercourses and swamps. The vegetation comprises of tropical moist deciduous forests, dry deciduous forests and scrub forests. Compared to the nearby reserves, the climate is warmer in Mudumalai.
Langur, bonnet macaque, tiger, leopard, wild dog, hyena, jackal, sloth bear, elephants, gaur, sambar, spotted deer, Indian muntjac, mouse deer, wild boar, rodent and flying squirrel are part of the wildlife in Mudumalai. It has a rich bird life that includes Malabar trogan, Grey hornbill, crested hawk eagle, crested serpent eagle, etc.
Part of the Deccan Plateau and located at the foothills of Western Ghats, Bandipur, in Karnataka offers a rich and varied wildlife habitat. Covered with a mix of deciduous, evergreen forests and scrub, well irrigated by the Moyar river, Bandipur had a fairly open forest floor, making it easy for visitors to spot wildlife. Once the Mysore Maharaja's private game reserve, it is now one of the 15 sanctuaries selected across the country for Project Tiger by the World Wide Fund for Nature, to save the tigers. Just 90 sq. kms in 1931, now this national park covers an area of 865 sq kms. Together with the neighbouring national parks like Madhumalai wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and Wynad in Kerala, it forms the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Visitors here get to see a variety of birds and animals like tiger, Asian elephant, gaur, sambar, chital, spotted deer, barking deer, mouse deer, four horned antelope, wild boar, black naped hare, Indian porcupine. This park boasts of 66 tigers and over 1900 elephants. River Moyar acts as a boundary between this Park and the Madhumalai Sanctuary.
Prominent fauna - Asian elephant, gaur, sambar, chital, mouse deer, four-horned antelope, wild pig, black-naped hare, Indian porcupine.
| Location |
Nilgiri District, Tamil Nadu |
| Distance |
Coimbatore (160 km) |
| STD Code |
0423 |
| Language |
Tamil,Malayalam, Hindi, English |
| Climate / best Season/ Best Time To Visit |
November-May, the best period being December-March. |
| Entertainment |
Sightseeing in Nilgiri , Tea estate,bird watching,Lake,water falls,Valley |
| How to Reach |
Air: Coimbatore (160 km) is the nearest airport connected to many places in India like Mumbai, Chennai, and Kozhikode.
Rail: The nearest important railway station is Ooty (also Udhagamandalam) at a distance of 64 km.
Road: The sanctuary is well connected with other places in the region by good all-weather roads. |
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| Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary |
Periyar National Park is situated in the hills of the Western Ghats in the state of Kerala in SW India. The centre piece of Periyar National park is the 5,500-hectare Periyar lake formed by the construction of a dam on the Periyar river in 1895.
The dam submerged low-lying forest whose dead tree trunks still jut out of the waters. Along the fringes of the lake are marshy areas with tall grasslands. This is one of the richest habitats of large mammals, as it provides both excellent cover and nourishment in the form of succulent shoots and grasses. Here it is possible to see large herds of Indian Elephant with relative ease as well as Nilgiri Langur near Aranya Niwas and the Liontail Macaque in higher areas.
The forests are tropical, a mixture of deciduous, semi-evergreen, and evergreen ‘sholas’, the last occurring in the moist valleys and characterised by tall trees and a closed canopy. The forests alternate with extensive patches of grasslands. Periyar’s rich bird life includes the Giant Hornbill, Cormorant, Darter, Osprey and Racket-tailed Drongo. The Indian Python and King Cobra are among the reptilian fauna. Periyar has a few Nilgiri Tahr, good numbers of which may also be seen on a day excursion to nearby Eravikulam National Park near Munnar.
One of the largest wildlife reserves in India, the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is more popular as a tiger reserve. A boat ride on the splendid Periyar Lake is the best way to experience the sanctuary. The greatest attraction here is the herd of wild elephants. Tiger, Sambar, Bison, Spotted Deer, Leopard, Malabar flying squirrel,Stripe-necked Mongoose can also be spotted in the forest.
A dam constructed on the Periyar river led to the submersion of a large forest area and the formation of a 55 sq km lake, which assured the local wildlife a perennial source of water and led to its rapid growth.
| Location |
Kumily, Kerala |
| Distance |
Kottayam 114-kms |
| STD Code |
0486 |
| Language |
Malayalam,Tamil, Hindi, English |
| Climate / best Season/ Best Time To Visit |
Open year-round, the best period being November-April. |
| Entertainment |
Sightseeing in Thekkady , Tea estate,bird watching,Lake,water falls,Valley,Boating |
| How to Reach |
Air: Kochi (Cochin) at 200-kms or Madurai in Tamil Nadu at 140-kms are the nearest airports from Periyar.
Rail: Kottayam at 114-kms is the nearest railhead from Periyar.
Road: Kumily, the nearest town from Periyar is well served by both state and private buses from Kottayam, Ernakulam and Madurai in Tamil Nadu.
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