South India Travel --› Kerala Wildlife Sanctuaries --› Peppara Sanctuary

Peppara Sanctuary

Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary is on the Thiruvnanthapuram-Ponmudi road and is is accessible from Vithurai.This park has a wide variety of birds like the Darter, Little Cormorant, Pied Kingfisher and Egret, and is fast emerging as a big attraction for wildlife enthusiasts. There are small hillocks and eucalyputus plantations that flaunt along side the road.

The most common animals found in Peppara are elephants, sambar, leopards, lions, the barking deer, wild boars, tigers, panthers, wild dogs, the Malabar squirrels, lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, king cobras and pythons. The catchment area of Peppara dam across the river Karamana was declared a sanctuary in 1983. Accessible from Vithurai, the sanctuary has 13 tribal settlements. The nearest airport is at Thiruvananthapuram (55 km away) while the nearest railhead is also at Thiruvananthapuram.

Peppara wildlife sanctuary is a 'gene pool' sanctuary, with a rich variety of flora and fauna over a rugged terrain with running rivulets, rolling hillocks and green meadows. A boat ride on the site is a fulfilling experience.

The sub tropical and tropical evergreen forests are populated with a variety of wildlife. This sanctuary with its rich fauna and birds is emerging as a big attraction to wildlife enthusiasts.