Description of the attraction
One of the most famous elephant and tiger reserves in South India, Periyar National Park, located in Kerala state, gained its high status in 1982. It is located among the Kardamom Mountains, in the very center of the protected zone and covers an area of about 350 sq km. Its height ranges from 100 meters in the valley of the Pamba River to 1700 meters on the heights of its eastern part. The highest peak of the Kottamalai Park has a height of 2019 meters. Almost in the center of the territory is the picturesque Periyar Lake, with an area of about 26 square kilometers, which was formed after the creation of the Mullaperiyar Dam in 1895. And at the moment this lake is the main source of water for the entire fauna of the park.
Almost the entire territory of the national park is covered with evergreen tropical vegetation, among which one can distinguish Indian veteria, small-flowered hopei, canarium, artocarpus, Javanese bischofia and others. Some specimens of these species reach a height of 40-50 meters. In total, about 2,500 plant species grow in Periyar, 350 of which are used for medicinal purposes.
The fauna in the park is represented by 62 species of mammals, but the most famous inhabitants are, of course, Indian elephants, which, like tigers, have a special status in this area. Their population ranges from 900 to 1000 individuals. The number of tigers is much smaller - only about 53 individuals. Other inhabitants of Periyar include gauras, bison, sambara, Indian deer, muntjacs, mongooses, foxes and leopards. Also, if you are lucky, there you can find the Nilgirian tahr listed in the Red Book. In addition, the park is home to many birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish in the lake.
About 4 million tourists from all over the world visit Periyar Park annually.
