Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, also called Thekkady Wildlife Sanctuary, is located in the scenic ranges of
Western Ghats in
Idukki District.
Thekkady town is synonymous with Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and it forms the basecamp to explore the sanctuary.
Though it is one among the 16 tiger reserves in India, the sanctuary mainly houses elephants. Rare varieties of animals such as lion-tailed macaque, the nilgiri langur, common langur and bonnet macaque can be found here. One can also spot bison, chital, tigers, leopards, Malabar flying squirrels, stripe necked mongooses, gaur and sambar.
An ideal venue for bird watcher’s, various rare species of migratory birds is spotted here. In addition, the sanctuary boasts a wide range of reptiles. Another noted spot here is the Periyar Lake, on the bottom of the cardamom hills. The eco-tourist spot Gavi is nearby.
The best time to visit is from October to June.
Kumily, on the outskirts of the sancutary, is well connected to cities and towns in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The nearest airports are at Kochi and Madurai. Kottayam Railway Station is 114 km away.
