The valley was recognized as Silent Valley National Park in the year 1985.
Silent Valley National Park is situated in Palakkad district in Nilgiri Mountains of Kerala.
Silent Valley area was Investigated for the first time in 1857 by the botanist Robert Wight.
The park is known as Sairandhrivanam in Mahabharata, Draupadi was Sairandhri during the exile period.
The British named the area Silent Valley because of the absence of noisy Cicadas.
Eravikulam National Park
Eravikulam National Park is 97 sq. km. in extent.
It became a National Park in 1978.
It is the first National Park in Kerala.
It is situated along the crest of the Western Ghats in the High Ranges of Idukki district.
A sanctuary is the home for endangered mountain goat, the Nilgiri Tahr (Hemitragus hylocrious).
Periyar National Park
The park is declared as the Periyar National Park in 1982.
Periyar National Park is located in ldukki.
The total area is 777 Sq. km.
It is popular as an elephant reserve and also as a tiger reserve.
The park is also known in the names of Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and Thekkady.
The major wildlife attractions in Periyar National Park include gaur, sambar, barking deer, mouse deer, wild pigs, indian wild dog, lion-tailed macaque, bonnet macaque, nilgiri langur and common langur.
Anamudi Shola National Park (2003)
It covers a total area of 7.5 square kilometers. It is part of the Marayoor village in the Devikulam Taluk in Idukki district.
This park receives high rainfall with annual average rainfall of about 4,500 millimeters (180 in).
The park contains highly endemic flora, including a plant commonly known as ‘neelakkurinji’ (Strobilanthes kunthianus).
Mathikettan Shola National Park (2003)
Its Area is 12.82 square kilometers.
It is situated in Idukki district.
Mathikettan area is part of the Cardamom Hill Reserve (CHR)
Pampadum Shola National Park (2003)
It is the smallest National Park in the state. It covers only an area of 1.32 sq km.
This park is situated in the Marayoor village of Idukki district.
It is located in the junction between the Palani and Cardamom Hills.
Highly elusive and endangered, endemic small carnivore the Nilgiri Marten is seen here.
Info on total number and area in Kerala
National Parks – 6 – 356.1550 sq kms (Area)
Wildlife Sanctuaries – 17 – 2855.5822 sq kms
Community Reserve – 1 – 1.5 sq kms
Facts about Wild Life Sanctuaries in Kerala
Periyar Wildlife sanctuary (1950)
It lies in the middle of a mountainous area of the Cardamom Hills.
It lies in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta.
Area of 925 sq.kms, out of which a 350 sq kms is the part of the core zone was made into the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve.
The sanctuary surrounds picturesque 26 sq kms Periyar lake, formed by the building of Mullaperiyar Dam in 1895.
It was declared as Tiger Reserve in 1978.
Neyyar Wildlife sanctuary (1958)
The sanctuary spreads across the southeastern part of Western Ghats in Thiruvananthapuram. The sanctuary is the drainage basin of Neyyar River and its branch rivers, Mullayar and Kallar.
Chief attractions are Deer farm, the Lion Safari Park and the Crocodile Rearing Centre.
A Crocodile farm is built in 1977 at Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, which is the abode for 44 mugger crocodiles. The Steve Irwin Crocodile Rehabilitation and Research Centre was established in this Sanctuary in May 2007.
Agasthyarkoodam hill, which is 1890 m high, occupies the major part of the sanctuary.
Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife sanctuary (1958)
It is located in Peechi of Thrissur district.
It has an area of 125 Sq. km.
Peechi Vazhani Wildlife sanctuary is home to more than 50 species of orchids and medicinal plants.
The sanctuary consists of Palappilly - Nelliyampathy forests including the area of Chimmini Wildlife sanctuary.
The highest peak in here is Ponmudi, which has an altitude of 923 m.
Parambikulam Wildlife sanctuary (1973)
Its area is 285 square kilometers. It is located in Chittur taluk of Palakkad district.
The sanctuary is the home of four different tribes of native peoples including the Kadar, Malasar, Muduvar and Mala Malasar.
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (1973)
It is located in Wayanad.
It is considered as the second biggest wildlife sanctuary in the state.
It is also known in the name of Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary.
Wayanad wildlife sanctuary was included in the Project Elephant during the year 1991-92.
The native adivasis living in this area are Adiyars, Kattunaikans, Kurichyas, Kurumas , Paniyas, Ooralis and so on.
It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
ldukki Wildlife Sanctuary (1976)
It has an area of 77 sq. km.
It is situated in the taluks of Thodupuzha and Udumbanchola in the district.
Sanctuary is famous for its elephant population.
There exists 33 sq.km scenic lake around the sanctuary.
Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary (1983)
It is situated in Thiruvananthapuram.
The major peaks in the Peppara wildlife sanctuary are Chemmunjimottai , Nachiyadikunnu, Athirumalai, Koviltherimalai and Arumukhamkunnu. Chemmunjimottai, which have an altitude of 1717 meters, is the biggest hill in the sanctuary.
The major river is Karamana River.
The common mammals existed in this sanctuary are Elephant, Tiger, Leopard, Tahr, Sloth Bear, Sambar, Langur monkey and so on.
Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary (1983)
Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary lies in the Malappuram District.
The Sanctuary is a heaven for migratory birds.
It extends over a group of islands where the Kadalundipuzha River goes and falls into the Arabian Sea.
Thattekad Bird Sanctuary (1983)
It is also known as the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary.
It is located on the northern bank of the Periyar River in Ernakulam district.
Thattekad Bird Sanctuary spreads in an area of just 25 sq km, consisting of lush tropical evergreen, deciduous forests and island patches.
Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary (1984)
It is situated at Devikulam taluk of idukki district.
Highest peak being Kottakombu malai (2100m) is located in this sanctuary.
Chinnar is reputed to have the unique thorny scrub forest with xerophytic species.
It is the home for endangered giant grizzled squirrel.
The famous 'white bison of Manjampatti' is seen from Chinnar.
Shendurney wildlife sanctuary (1984)
It is located in Pathanapuram taluk.
It has an area of 100.32 km.
The sanctuary got its name from the tree named Shendurney (gluta travancoria) that are found only in this region.
A big dam known as the Parappar dam is built across the rivers of Kulathupuzha and Shendurney.
Chimmini Wildlife sanctuary (1984)
It is situated at the Mukundapuram taluk of Thrissur district.
It covers an area of about 85.067 square kilometers.
The sanctuary is situated in the western slopes of Nelliyampathi hills.
Blue Mormon, the second largest butterfly in India is seen here.
Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary (1984)
The Aralam Sanctuary is spread over 55 sq km on the slopes of the Western Ghats.
Its headquarters is Iritty, Kannur.
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary
It is also called as Vembanad Bird Sanctuary.
It is located at Kumarakom in the Kottayam district.
In the past, it is known in the name of Baker's Estate.
The sanctuary is extended over 14 acres in the southern coast of the Kavanar River.
Sanctuary is a most wanted place for migratory birds like darter, siberian stork, teal, egret and heron.
Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary
Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across 74 square kilometers in Kozhikode district.
This is the 16th Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary has diverse vegetation types.
It is maintained by the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is also a hub for the Wayanad Elephant Reserve.
The forests of Kakkayam is bordering with the mountain hills of Kakkanmala, Banasuramak, Vannathimala, Vellarimala, and the Kurichyarmak.
Kurinjimala Sanctuary
The Kerala Government has declared the Kurinjimala as a sanctuary, which is an abode of neelakurinji in the villages of Kottakamboor and Vattavada in Idukki .
The sanctuary has safeguarded the kurinji and the forest. It is rich in flora and fauna.
The new sanctuary is neighboring to the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. It is also nearer to Anamudi Shola and Pampadum Shola National Parks.
