Location : Anna Malai hills, Palakkad
Main Attractions : Indian bison
The Palakkad Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary is spread over an area of 285 square kilometers over the lush green Anna Malai hills. The undulating landscape of the sanctuary provides the perfect set up for a wildlife sanctuary to thrive in its fullest. Several rivers drain the rocky terrain also lending a mystical touch to the sanctuary. The Kerala Parambikulam national park has a thick cover of bamboo, rosewood and sandalwood trees. In fact, Parambikulam had an abundance of teak stands at one point of time. The national park also has patchy grasslands along with marshy spots, thus giving it the complete essence of a natural forest.
Parambikulam has a varied wildlife that include species of wild animals like leopards, wild dogs, sloths, crocodiles, civet, tigers, elephants, wild boar, barking deer, spotted deer, monkeys, langurs, porcupines and macaques. Parambikulam boasts of around 140 species of rare and exotic birds. It is said that this sanctuary has the largest population of the Indian bison also known as the Gaur. The sanctuary can be visited anytime during the year but it is best to avoid visiting during the monsoons. There are two watchtowers for getting a better view of the sanctuary and also for game watching. They are located at Anappadi and Zungam.
How to Reach
By Air : Located at a distance of 55 kilometers, Coimbatore airport is the closest to this sanctuary.
By Rail : The nearest railway station is at Palakkad, at a distance of 125 kilometers.
By Roads : The sanctuary is easily reachable by roads as Palakkad is well connected by a wide network of roads.