Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary Kerala

Are you looking for an encounter with some incredible wild animals? Come to Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary and you may have a great time eyeing ferocious animals like elephants, tigers, leopard, bisons, sambar, wild boar, lion-tailed macaques, nilgiri langur, deer, and many other inhabitants. This west coast tropical evergreen forest is located in Pathanapuram Taluk, which is approximately 66 km from Kollam Town. It is one of the richest floral area of Kerala, visited by thousands of local and foreign tourists who have a special interest in the flora and fauna of India.

History

The Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1984 and it has derived its name from the tree called 'Shenkuruny or Chenkuruny' (Gluta travancorica), which is a species of tree found in this region. The sanctuary is spread over a hilly terrain of over 100 sq km and consists an artificial lake of about 26 sq.kms., formed by the Tenmala (Parappar) Dam, which add to the beauty of this stunning forest.

Highlights

The lovely surroundings and exotic wilderness of this forest guaranteed to give tourists an adventurous treat. As per the survey done by some archaeologists, a rock shelter has been found here, which contains a few pre-historic rock engravings from the Mesolithic period (5210-4420BC). The remains of the Stone Age Culture have been excavated from a large cave, near the Shenduruny River, large enough to hold 20 people at a time. This makes the forest even more popular among the travel junkies, who have deep interest in the Stone Age Culture and Mesolithic paintings, found inside the cave.

Also, the scholars believe that the Shenduruny River Valley Civilization is one of the ancient River Valley Civilization, explored till date in India. This further motivate tourists to visit the santuarys.

Other Facts

There are different types of vegetation found in Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary like west coast tropical evergreen forest, west coast tropical semi-evergreen forest, southern moist mixed deciduous forest, and the southern hilltop tropical evergreen forest. This forest offers plenty of scope to trekkers to explore different landscapes along with small mountain ranges around the sanctuary area. The flora and fauna of this sanctuary are rich enough to invite tourists to witness its exotic life.

So, if you are planning to spend your holidays in the woods, do visit the Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary in Kollam to explore the herbs and plants found here and to spot exotic beasts living in the jungle.