Major wildlife sanctuaries and reserves of Tamil Nadu

Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary : Tamil Nadu

Anamalai wildlife sanctuary is about 90-kms from Coimbatore and is situated at an altitude of 1,400 meters in the Western Ghats near Pollachi. The area of the sanctuary is 958-sq-kms. An ecological paradise, this sanctuary encompasses a National Park. It has just recently been renamed as Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary.

Fauna: It has various kinds of fauna like Elephant, Gaur, Tiger, Panther, Sloth Bear, Deer, Wild Bear, Wild Dog, Porcupine, Flying Squirrel, Jackal, Pangolin, Civet Cat and birds like Rocket-tailed Drongo, Red Whiskered Bulbul, Tree Pie, Black Headed Oriole, Spotted Dove, Pigeon, etc. The Amaravati reservoir in the Anamalai has large number of crocodiles.

Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary: Tamil Nadu

Sprawling on 17.26-sq-kms surrounded by sea and shore, comprising forests of tidal swamps, dry evergreen forests of mangroves, this coastal sanctuary also known as "Kodikkarai", is 90-km southeast of Thanjavur in a wetland which juts out into the Palk Strait separating India and Sri Lanka. It is noted for the vast flocks of migratory waterfowl, especially flamingos, which congregate here every winter. The sanctuary is vast, mostly shrub-land, shaped by the violent monsoon winds and treated mercilessly by feral cattle, horses and the graceful buck. At present cultivation of lobster has been started as the number of birds is decreasing.

Fauna: Point Calimere sanctuary is bestowed with population of varied wild life such as Chital, Wild boar, Bonnet macaque, Black Buck, Flamingos, Teals, Gulls, Terns, Plavers and Stilts. Special attractions are close encounters with Dolphins and Turtles, which often come quite close to the shore. A variety of birds visit the sanctuary between November and January; the tidal mud flats and marshes are covered with Teals, Curlews, Gulls, Terns, Plovers, Sandpipers, Shanks, Herons and up to 3000 Flamingos at one time. In the spring, a different set of birds - Koels, Mynas and Barbets are drawn here by the profusion of wild berries. From April to June there's very little activity; the main rainy season is between October and December.

Kalakadu Wildlife Sanctuary : Tamil Nadu

Kalakadu wildlife sanctuary is situated in an area of 223-sq-kms in the Tirunelveli district, including the foothills of the Western Ghats and the adjoining area. 47-kms from Tirunelveli, the Kalakadu wildlife sanctuary is very popular with botanists and ornithologists as it has a great variety of fauna and bird life.

Fauna: It is a Lion tailed Macaque's preserve.Lion tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Langur, Bonnet Macaque, Common Langur, Nilgiri Tahr, Sambar, Sloth Bear, Gaur, Elephant, Tiger, Flying Squirrel, Panther, Wild Dog, Pangoline are some of the wildlife seen in the sanctuary. Besides, a wide range of birds and reptiles could be seen

Kunthakulam Bird Sanctuary : Tamil Nadu

Kunthakulam bird sanctuary is situated 33-km south of Tirunelveli in Nanguneri taluk. Kunthakulam is a small and natural scenic village, which is covered with natural forests and ponds. During the season January to April every year more than 10 thousand birds from various countries like Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, USA, Australia migrate here and when the season is over the birds return. Every day more than 5,000 people come here and enjoy.

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary : Tamil Nadu

In the luxuriantly forested foothills of the Nilgiris, this 321 sq km sanctuary is part of a much larger reserve (3000 sq km), which includes Bandipur and Wynad in neighbouring Karnataka and Kerala.

Fauna: The fauna include Elephants, Gaur, Banner, Macaque, Common Langur, Tigers, Leopards, Chital, Panther, Sloth Bear, Python, Barking Deer, Four Horned Antelope, Otter, Crocodiles, Giant Flying Squirrel, Sambar, Hyena, Wild Dog, Wild Boar, Mouse Deer, Spotted Deer, Jackal, Hare, Porcupine and Mongoose.

Mundanthurai Wildlife Sanctuary : Tamil Nadu

The Mundanthurai wildlife sanctuary is situated 42-km from Tirunelveli, it boasts of dry deciduous to tropical wet evergreen forest patches of pure reeds. This sanctuary covers an area of 567-sq-kms. There is nothing to differentiate this sanctuary from that of Kalakadu, except the absence of Elephant and the Gaur.

Fauna: Though this sanctuary is a Project Tiger reserve, one can likely to sight other animals like Leopard, Sambar, Sloth Bear and Chital apart from a wide variety of Indian Primates including Bonnet Macaque, Common Langur, Nilgiri Langur and Lion-tailed Macaque. The best time to visit Mundanthurai is between October and January. It is a Lion tailed Macaque's preserve. Tiger, Sloth Bear, Sambar, Flying Squirrel, Pangolin are some of the major inhabitants of this sanctuary.

Vedantangal Birds Sanctuary : Tamil Nadu

Vedanthangal bird sanctuary is located in Kanchipuram district, 85km from Chennai. It is the oldest bird sanctuary in the country and has been in existence presumably for more than 200 years. Vedanthangal is a bird watchers paradise, especially during the winter season, when birds in a myriad of colours and kinds descend on the lake in hordes. Every year over 1,00,000 birds make their home in a lake housed in this 30-acre marshy park. The best time to watch these migratory birds is between November and February. Bird watching is best early morning or in the evening. A watching tower is also available.

Bird Varieties: Grey Herons, Little Cormorants, White Pelicans, Hornbills, Storks, Egrets, Darters are the popular winter visitors to this secluded retreat. Some of them travel thousands of miles all the way from Siberia, to avoid the biting cold. Every year, these migratory birds come from afar to nest here during the season i.e. between November and February. But their numbers are slowly dwindling because of the increasing pollution in the area and the dropping water level of the lake. Proper maintenance of the sanctuary is also lacking. Some of the resident birds listed are Coots, Moorhen and Terns. In all 115 species of birds have been recorded in this sanctuary.

Viralimalai Sanctuary : Tamil Nadu

Viralimalai is a small town situated at a distance of 30-kms from Tiruchirapalli and 40-kms from Pudukkottai. It is famous for its Murugan temple and the Peacock sanctuary. The town is bestowed with a large number of wild peacocks, which roam around the Murugan temple.The sanctuary is one of the best places to watch peacocks. There are at least six species of peacock pheasants distributed throughout South East Asia, though the Palawan Peacock Pheasant or "Tandikan" (Polyplectron emphanum) is by far the most spectacularly coloured of these beautiful birds.