India Wildlife

SOUTH ZONE : Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka

Wildlife Sanctuaries of Kerala
Wildlife Sanctuaries of Tamil Nadu

Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh

The largest of India's Tiger reserves, the Nagarjunasagar - Srisailam Sanctuary (3568 sq km), lies in the state of Andhra Pradesh. This huge wildlife sanctuary is surrounded by the Nallamalai Hills on the south and is flanked by the River Krishna on the East. The dry deciduous forests with scrub and bamboo thickets provide shelter to a range of animals from the tiger and leopard at the top of the food chain. In this unspoiled jungle, the tiger is truly nocturnal and is rarely seen.

Wildlife : Bonnet macaque, leopard, tiger, wolf, jackal, langur, jungle cat, Bengal fox, wild dog, sloth bear, palm civet, smooth-coated otter, Indian spotted chevrotain, striped hyena, Indian muntjac, wild boar, sambar, blackbuck, chinkara, spotted deer, nilgai, four-horned antelope, Indian pangolin, marsh crocodile, Indian tree shrew, monitor lizard, Indian soft-shelled turtle, giant flying squirrel and Indian porcupine.

The sanctuary has 150 species of birds and commonly sighted birds are the peafowl grey and the hornbill. A few rare species of flora are also found in this region that include Pterolobium indicum, Niebuhria apetala and Ziziphus xylopyrus.

Best Season : October - June.

How to Reach : Rail & Air - Hyderabad (150 km).

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

It is spread over the states of Kerala (Muthanga, Begur, Tholpetty), Tamil Nadu (Madhumalai) & Karnataka (Bandipur, Nagarhole). Part of the Deccan Plateau and located at the foothills of Western Ghats, Bandipur, in Karnataka offers a rich and varied wildlife habitat. Covered with a mix of deciduous, evergreen forests and scrub, well irrigated by the Moyar river, Bandipur had a fairly open forest floor, making it easy for visitors to spot wildlife. Once the Mysore Maharaja's private game reserve, it is now one of the 15 sanctuaries selected across the country for Project Tiger by the World Wide Fund for Nature, to save the tigers. Just 90 sq km in 1931, now this national park covers an area of 865 sq km.

Together with the neighbouring national parks like Madhumalai wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and Muthanga WLS, Waynad in Kerala, Nagarhole wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka, it forms the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Visitors here get to see a variety of birds and animals like tiger, Asian elephant, gaur, sambar, chital, spotted deer, barking deer, mouse deer, four horned antelope, wild boar, black naped hare, Indian porcupine. This park boasts of 66 tigers and over 1900 elephants. River Moyar acts as a boundary between this park and the Madhumalai Sanctuary.

Prominent fauna - Asian elephant, gaur, sambar, chital, mouse deer, four horned antelope, wild pig, black-naped hare and Indian porcupine.

Bandipur National Park, Karnataka

The 689 sq km wildlife sanctuary gets its supply of water from the Moyar River. Trekking in the forest to Gopalswamy betta (peak) to watch elephant herds at close quarters can be arranged.

Wildlife : Indian porcupine, Gaur, mouse deer, black naped hare, four horned antelope, sambar, chital, bisons, spotted deers, langoors, leopards and of course the Asian elephant. Common birds are the Peafowl, Cormorants, barbets, herons, hawk eagle, parakeets, drongos, hornbills, warblers and minivets.

Best season : October to May, preferrable in the early morning.
How to Reach : 80 km from Mysore on the Ooty highway. Cottages and rooms are available for night stay. Gundulpet and Gudallur provides budget accommodation (20 km away).

Nagarhole wildlife sanctuary, Karnataka

The sanctuary is at 780 m with an area of 180 sq km. Wildlife includes elephants, bisons, tigers, panthers etc. Watch tower gives a close up view of the animals. Forest lodges are for stay. Jeeps are available from Manathawady, Kerala via Tholpetty, Kutta. The best season is October to May, preferable in the early morning. It is 90 km from Mysore.

Best season : October to May, preferrable in the early morning.
How to Reach : 90 km from Mysore. Cottages and rooms are available for night stay. It is 13 km from Tholpetty sanctuary in Wayanad, Kerala. Jeeps can be hired from the Karnataka border town Kutta, which is well connected by Kerala state buses.

Ranganathittu Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka

The 67 sq km bird sanctuary is set on the banks of the River Kaveri and has a group of six islets. These islets are infested with aquatic organisms and insects during the monsoon season that invite exotic birds to come and nest at the Ranganathittu sanctuary.

The sanctuary happens to be the nesting and breeding ground for several species of migratory birds viz. darters, white Ibis, spoonbills, cormorants, open bill storks, egret, river tern, heron, stone plougher, partridge, snake bird and a hoard of other exotic birds from Siberia. Local birds like peacocks and kingfishers are commonly visible.

How to Reach : Located near Srirangapatna (3 km), Mysore.