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Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary is located about
40 kms from the Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) district in
Kerala. The sanctuary stretches from Neyyatinkara Taluk to the
Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu. It is the drainage
basin of the Neyyar river and its tributaries, Mullayar and
Kallar which originated in Agasthyarkoodam, the second highest
peak in Kerala (1868 m). The Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary was
established in 1958. This sanctuary covers a total area of 128
square km. and the core area is only 60 kms. The tourists can
enjoy the jungle safari, boat rides on the reservoir and
trekking.
Vegetation in the Neyyar Wildife Sanctuary
The vegetation in the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary comprises of
the rugged terrain with rushing brooks and flat meadows. The
diversity of the flora at Neyyar makes the sanctuary an ideal
gene pool preserve. There are nearly 109 rare plants in the
region. Medicinal plants abound in the Agastiar hills. The
forest type consists of the tropical evergreen forest in the
west coast and southern hilltop, moist mixed deciduous forest
in the southern region, sub tropical savannah and the reed
breeks in the southern region.
Wildlife Attractions in the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary
The major wildlife animals which can be seen in the Neyyar
Wildlife Sanctuary are elephant, gaur, sambar, barking deer,
wild boar, Indian porcupine, three-striped squirrel, tiger,
Malabar squirrel, lion–tailed macaque, mouse deer, bonnet
macaque, Nilgiri tahr, Nilgiri langur etc. Various reptiles
which can also be seen in this sanctuary are Cobra, viper,
python, rat snake, flying snake, lizard etc. Various birds are
also found in this sanctuary like Common myna, kingfisher,
white-breasted water hen, little green heron, woodpecker,
house crow, koel, Indian cuckoo, grey jungle fowl, hoopoe,
jungle myna, darter, little cormorant, little egret, brahminy
kite etc. The other major tourist attraction in this sanctuary
is the crocodile farm.
How to reach Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary
By Air:
The nearest airport is located at Thiruvananthapuram or
Trivandrum which is about 32 kms.
By Rail:
The nearest railway station is located at Thiruvananthapuram.
By Road:
The Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary can be easily reached from
Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram). |
