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Kerala houses a treasure of flora and fauna tourists can experience in a number of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.
Kerala has a forest area of 11,125 sq km, which covers almost 29 percent of the total land area of the state. There are five national parks and 13 wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala. These parks and sanctuaries cover 2,250 sq km, which is 24 percent of the total forest area and 6 percent of the total land area of the state. All these national parks and sanctuaries are famous tourist destinations and are frequently visited by tourists to experience the enjoyment of watching wildlife in their natural habitat and to give a feel of the scenic excellence of Kerala.
Most of the national parks are located on the Western Ghats, a mountain range that rises to around 2695 m above sea level. On the slopes of the Western Ghats you will find lush forests, beautiful scenery, lakes, rivers, plantations and wildlife. Based on data, Kerala wildlife reserves have 102 species of mammals, among these elephants, tigers, leopards, gaurs, sambas, wild dogs, barking deer and many others. There are furthermore 169 species of reptiles and 476 varieties of birds.
Among the best known and therefore most visited reserves are: Priory National Park, which is also a tiger reserve; Eravikulam National Park, also known as Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary, known for the largest population in the world of the highly endangered Nigiri Tahr, which is the mountain goat of South India; and Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary. Kerala also has a number of bird sanctuaries located in the Western Gahts as well as in the Backwaters. Among the best known bird sanctuaries are: Thettakkad Bird Sanctuary, also known as Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, it is located on the northern bank of the Periyar River in the Ernakulam district near Munnar and is home to almost 300 species of birds; and the Kamarakom Bird Sanctuary which stands on the banks of the Vembanad Lake in the backwaters and is home to many birds visiting from cold regions such as Siberia.
Most of the sanctuaries are very well protected and visitors are only allowed in on guided tours. These tours can be trekking or walking on paths along the green pastures of the sanctuary; it could be by jeep; sailing on a boat; or riding on the back of an elephant. All these different ways to give the visitor the best possibility to watch the wild animals in their natural habitat in Kerala. The Kerala wildlife sanctuaries are major tourist attractions and places where your camera keeps rolling.
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