Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

The Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is a reservoir of tranquil greenery ensconced in a valley between the Annamalai ranges of Tamil Nadu and the Nelliampathy ranges of Kerala. The areas hilly and rocky, drained by several rivers, including the Parambikulam, the Sholayar and the Thekkedy.

Thickly forested with stands of bamboo, sandalwood, rosewood and teak, the sanctuary has some marshy land and scattered patches of grassland.

Parambikulam was once home to some of south India's finest stands of teak. Little remains of the original teak forests, other than the famous Kannimari teak tree, the largest in Asia as most of these have now been replaced by teak plantations. The tree is about 5 km from Thunakadavu, and is one of Parambikulam's prime attractions.

There are two watchtowers one at Anappadi, 8km from Thunakadavu, and other at Zungam, 5km from Thunakadavu.

Parambikulam has one of the largest population of gaur (bison). It is also a home to elephants, sloth bears, wild boars, sambhars, chital tigers, panthers and crocodiles. There are also bonnet macaques, spectacled cobras, kraits, vipers, turtles, darters, little cormorants and black eagles.

Parambikulam is open throughout the year, but is best avoided during the monsoon. Between June and August, the monsoon rains lash, making hillsides unstable and causing slush, mosquitoes, drippy roofs and other nuisances. Boat cruises can be arranged in the Parambikulam Reservoir. The rest house of the state forest department at Thoonakkadavu, Thellikkal and Elathode offer comfortable lodging facilities. A tree - house in the reserved forest area in Thoonakkadavu has to be booked in advance.

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary Tour Packages

Wildlife in Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary

Animals

Mammals:

Wildlife Att Nilgiri Langur( Presbytis johni ),2 Lion Tailed Macaque. (Macaca silenus ) ,Tiger( Panthera tigris ) Leopard. (Panthera pardus ),Indian Elephant( Elephas maximus ), The Gaur ( Bos gaurus ), Nilgiri Tahr. (Hermitragus hylocrius ),The Sloth Bear(Melursus ursinus ) Nilgiri Marten.(Martes gwatkinsi ) Sambar.(Cervus unicolor ) Small Travancore Flying Squirrel( Petinomys fuscocapillus ractions )

Birds:

Number of birds recorded at the sanctuary are around 268 and some of the high importance birds are Lesser adjustant, Grey headed fishing eagle, Peninsular bay owl, Broad billed roller, Great pied hornbill, Lesser Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Great Black Woodpecker, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Black-capped Kingfisher, Ceylon Frogmouth, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Malay Night-Heron, Oriental Darter

Reptiles:

Important Reptiles found in Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary :
Indian rock python , King cobra , Spectacled cobra , Olivaceous keel back , Western rat snake , Kerala ,sheildtail ,Travancore kukri snake , Malabar pit viper , Cochin cane turtle , Travancore tortoise , Indian day gecko , South Indian forest ground gecko , W ghats flying lizard , South Indian rock lizd. , Mountain skink Marsh crocodile / Mugger

Insects :

Checklist of Insects

Order	No. of families	Identified species	Unidentified species	Total species
Lepidoptera	31	401	83	484
Hymenoptera	26	84	21	405
Homoptera	8	26	31	57
Heteroptera	7	24	50	74
Orthoptera	2	11	20	31
Dictyoptera	2	3	8	11
Neuroptera	1	1	12	13
Coleoptera	29	78	135	213
Odonata	2	7	10	17
Diptera	5	1	35	36
Trichoptera	1	-	4	4
Ephemeroptera	1	-	2	2
Isoptera	1	-	2	2
Total	106	636	413	1049

Fishes:

1. Anguilla bengalensis (Gray) (Maninjeel)
2. Puntius carnaticus (Jerdon) (Pachilavetti)
3. Puntius melanampyx (Day) (Vazhayka varayan)
4. Puntius jerdoni (Day) (Chameen)
5. Hypselobarbus curmuca (Ham - Buch) (Kooral)
6. Hypselobarbus kolus (Sykes) (Kuzhikutty / Kooral)
7. Tor khudree (Sykes) (Kuyil)
8. Tor tor (Ham - Buch) (Chenkuyil)
9. Osteochilichthys longidorsalis Pethiyagoda and Kottelat
10. Barilius bakeri (Day) (Pavay paral)
11. Garra Surendranathanii (Shaji etal.)
12. Bhavania australis (Jerdon) (Kalpoolon)
13. Mystus malabaricus (Jerdon) (Kallan koorie)
14. Glyptothorax lonah (Sykes) (Kalle koorie)
15. Pristolepis marginata (Jerdon) (Karipidi)
16. Macrognathus guentheri (Day) (Manalaral)

Imp butterflies at Parambikulam Wildlife sanctuary

1 Graphium sarpedon teredon Felder 2 G. aqamemnon Lin. 3 G. doson eleius Fruh. 4 G. antipathes Fb. 5 Pachliopta aristolochiae Lin. 6 P. hector Lin. 7 P. pandiyana Moore 8 Papilio polytes thesus Cram. 9 P. demoleus Lin. 10 P. paris tamilana Moore 11 P. budha Westwood 12 P. helenus Lin. 13 P. polymnestor parinda Moore 14 P. dravidarum Wood-Mason 15 Troides minos Cram. 16 Cethosia nietneri mahratta Felder 17 Charaxes bemardus imna Butl. 18 Cirrochroa thais thais Fb. 19 Cupha erumanthis maja Fruh. 20 Ariadne ariadne indica Moore 21 A. merione merione Cram. 22 Polyura athamas athamas Drury 23 Euthalia lubentina arasada Fruh. 24 E. aconthea meridionalis Fruh. 25 Hypolimnas bolina Lin. 26 H. misippus Lin. 27 Junonia orithya swinhoei Butl. 28 J. lemonias Lin. 29 J. hierta Fb. 30 J. almana Lin. 31 J. atlites Lin. 32 J. iphita pluvialis Fruh. 33 Kaniska canace viridis Evans 34 Moduza procris Cram. 35 Neptis hulas uarmona Moore 36 N. jumbah iumbah Moore. 37 Pantoporia hordonia Stoll 38 P. ranqa (Moore) 39 Parthenos suluia uirens Moore 40 Phalanta Dhalanta Drurv 41 Tanaecia lepidea miyana Fruh. 42 Vanessa cardui Lin. 43 Vindula erota saloma Swinhoe 44 Danaeus genutia genutia Cram. 45 D. chrllsippus chrusippus Lin. 46 Euploea core core Cram. 47 Idea malabarica malabarica Moore 48 Parantica aqlea aglea Cram. 49 P. nilgiriensis Moore 50 Tirumala limniace leopardus Butl. 51 T. septentrionis dravidarum Fruh. 52 Appias libuthea libuthea Fb. 53 A. luncida latifascia Moore 54 A. albina darada Felder 55 A. indra shiva Swinhoe 56 Anaphaeis aurota Fb. 57 Catopsilia pomona pomona Fb. 58 C. puranthe Lin. 59 Cepora nerissa phryne Fb. 60 C. nadina remba Moore 61 Colotis fausta (Oliv.) 62 C. etrida Bois.

63 C. danae Fb. 64 Delias eucharis Drury 65 Eurema laete laeta Bois. 66 E. hecabe Lin. 67 E. blanda Bois. 68 E. briqitta rubella Wallace 69 Hebomoia alaucippe australis Butl. 70 Ixias purene sesia Lin. 71 I. marianne Cram. 72 Leptosia nina nina Fb. 73 Pareronia valeria hippia Fb. 74 Lethe rohria neelgheriensis Guerin 75 L. europa Fb. 76 Melanitis leda leda Drury 77 M. phedima varaha Moore 78 Mycalesis anaxias anaxias Hewit. 79 M. igilia Fruh. 80 M. patnia junonia Butl. 81 M. perseus Fb. 82 M. mineus polydecta Cram. 83 M. visala Moore 84 Orsotriaena medus mandata Moore 85 Ypthima ceylonica ceylonica Hewit. 86 Y. baldus madrasa Evans 87 Y. philomela Lin. 88 Y. huebneri Kirby 89 Zipoetis saitis Hewit. 90 Badamia exclamationis Fb. 91 Celaenorrhinus leucocera Kollar 92 C. ambareesa Moore 93 Hasora chromus chromus Cram. 94 Iambrix salsala luteipennis Plotz 95 Oriens concinna EI. 96 Odontoptilum anqulata Feld. 97 Potanthus pava pava Koll. 98 Pelopidas subochracea subochracea Moore 99 Spialia galba Fb. 100 Tagiades litigiosa Moschler 101 Taractrocera ceramas ceramas Hewit. 102 Telicota ancilla bambusae Moore 103 Caleta caleta Hewit. 104 Castalius rosimon (Fb.) 105 Celastrina lavendularis Moore 106 Cheritra freja (Fb.) 107 Chilades pandava pandava Hors. 108 Curetis dentata dentata Moore 109 Discolampa ethion vavasanus Froh. 110 Euchrysops cneius cneius Fb. 111 Jamides alecto (Feld.) 112 J. celeno (Cram.) 113 J. bochus bochus Cram. 114 Loxura atymnus Cram. 115 Neopithecops zalmora dharma Moore 116 Spindasis vulcanus vulcanus Fb. 117 S. schistacea schistacea Moore 118 Talicada nyseus nyseus Guerin. 119 Udara akasa Horsfield 120 Virachola perse Qhela Froh. 121 Zezius chrysomallus Hub. 122 Zizina otis decreta Butl. 123 Acraea terpsicore Lin. 124 Discophora lepida lepida Moore

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary Travel Information

General Information

Location : 110 Kms from Palakkad.

Area : 285 Sq. Kms.

Established : 1973

Time to Visit : Round the Year

Climate : The sanctuary receives much heaviyer rains between June and August. The eastern part of the sanctuary receives more rains in October-November. Temperature drops substantially and mist envelops the sanctuary in the morning hours.

How to Reach Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary

By Air : The nearest railway station: Palakkad, 125 kms

By Rail : The nearest railhead is at Mysore (96km) which is connected to Bangalore.

By Road : from Pollachi in Tamilnadu. Palakkad-Pollachi is about 45 km by road and Pollachi-Parambikkulam is about 65 km by road.