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Periyar National Park is situated in the hills
of the Western Ghats in the state of Kerala in SW India. The
centrepiece of the park is the 5,500-hectare Periyar lake
formed by the construction of a dam on the Periyar river in
1895. The dam submerged low-lying forest whose dead treetrunks
still jut out of the waters. Along the fringes of the lake
are marshy areas with tall grasslands.
This is one of the richest hanitats ofor large mammals, as
it provides both excellent cover and nourishment in the form
of succulent shoots and grasses. Here it is possible to see
large herds of Indian Elephant with relative ease as well
as Nilgiri Langur near Aranya Niwas and the Liontail Macaque
in higher areas.
The forests are tropical, a mixture of deciduous, semi-evergreen,
and evergreen ‘sholas’, the last occurring in
the moist valleys and characterised by tall trees and a closed
canopy. The forests alternate with extensive patches of grasslands.
Periyar’s rich birdlife includes the Giant Hornbill,
Cormorant, Darter, Osprey and Racket-tailed Drongo. The Indian
Python and King Cobra are among the reptilian fauna. Periyar
has a few Nilgiri Tahr, good numbers of which may also be
seen on a day excursion to nearby Eravikulam National Park
near Munnar.
Season :
Open year-round, the best period being November-April.
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