Located in Pathanapuram taluk, 70 km from
Kollam on the Kollam -Shencotta Road is the Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary. The Shenduruney forest was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1984. The sanctuary is situated on the banks of the River Shenduruney. On the northern side of this tropical evergreen forest is the famous picnic spot ‘
Palaruvi’. Elephant, wild buffalos, barking deer,
mouse deer, tiger panther, jungle cat, lion-tailed macaque,
Nilgiri langur, bear, and
Indian porcupine are the main attractions of this sanctuary. This picturesque area is characterised by rich flora and fauna, and steep rugged peaks.
Shenduruney was the cradle of one of the oldest river valley civilizations in India, as is proved by recent archeological studies. Excavations at a large cave in the northwestern part of the Shenduruney river have yielded evidence of the remains of stone age culture of the Mesolithic period (5210 - 4420 BC). This cave houses paintings similar to the Mesolithic paintings found in the caves of central India.
Trivandrum International Airport is the nearest airport and the nearest railway station is at Thenmala. Motorable roads connect the sanctuary with Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram.
