PEECHI - VAZHANI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY |
Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary located 20 km east of Thrissur, it is contiguous with the forest areas of Nelliyampathy and Palappilly reserves, and shares a common boundary with the Chimmini Sanctuary. The undulating terrain varies from 45 to 900 m.Most of the sanctuary is covered by deciduous forests, but it also has some evergreen and semi-evergreen trees. |
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There are endangered herbs shrubs, rare medicinal plants, and innumerable varieties of orchids. Bird colonies too, are many.Here, you can expect to spot the bonnet macaque,Nilgiri langur, tiger, leopard, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, mouse deer, Malabar giant squirrel, porcupine, small Indian civet, common palm civet, elephant, gaur, wild boar, sloth bear, and the wild dog.
The Forest Department organizes outdoor activities that include overnight stays in tents, bamboo rafting, bird watching, butterfly safaris and trekking.
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PARAMBIKULAM WILDLIFE SANCTUARY |
Besides the astounding array of flora and fauna, it offers challenging treks in the hills and vast lakes for boating. Parambikulam is also a haven for bird watching, and was once the favourite haunt of the legendary ornithologist, Dr Salim Ali.The Chalakudy River, coursing through the sanctuary, has been dammed at three places, creating vast reservoirs ideal for viewing wildlife and birds. |
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| Habitat types are very diverse and support a variety of wildlife. While deer, sambar and gaur largely inhabit the forest fringes, the lion-tailed macaque, king cobra, tiger, leopard, civet cat, pangolin, porcupine, jungle cat, cane turtle, and the Ceylon frogmouth roam freely in the interiors. The Parambikulam frog (Rana parambikula-mana) is exclusive to the sanctuary. There are plenty of trekking options here. The tribals from the area are usually well-informed guides.
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SILENT VALLEY NATIONAL PARK |
Today, silent Valley National Park, located on the western corner of the Nilgiris, is one of the last remnants of an undisturbed tropical evergreen rainforest. With an unbroken ecological history, which has been continuously evolving for millions of years, it is truly a unique region.
The park owes its name to the relative absence of the noisy cicada insects. Covering area of over 90 sq km, the evergreen forests consist of different kinds of vegetation. |
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The Kutipuzha River traversers the entire length of the national park’s valley.
The park owes its name to the relative absence of the noisy cicada insects. Covering area of over 90 sq km, the evergreen forests consist of different kinds of vegetation. The Kutipuzha River traversers the entire length of the national park’s valley.
Orchids and 960 species of other flowers bloom here. Apart from this, there are 25 species of mammals, 35 species of reptiles, 95 species of butterflies, and a number of rare birds. The valley’s most famous inhabitant however, is the elusive lion-tailed macaque.
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