Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

Situated at Devikulam taluk of Idukki district of Kerala, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary acquired the status of a Chinnar National Park in 1984 and spreads over an area of 90,422 sq.km. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary's diversity encompasses rugged terrains, dry deciduous forests, high sholas and wet thorny scrub forest with xerophyte species. Chinnar is the habitat of the endangered Giant Grizzled Squirrel of India. Unlike other sanctuaries, the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the rain shadow area of the Western Ghats and receives only 48 rainy days in a year.

Best Time

Chinnar Wildlife Tour can be visited almost throughout the year except during the months of October and November.

How to get there ?

» By Air - Cochin International Airport is the nearest airport, about 150 kms from Munnar.

» By Rail - Nearest railway station is at Ernakulam.

» By Road - Chinnar is well connected by bus service to all the major places in the southern states.

Major Attractions of Chinnar Wildlife Tour

» Flora - A variety of trees, including the unique thorny scrub forest with Xerophytic species adorns this sanctuary. The flora of the sanctuary encompasses dry deciduous forest, thorny scrub forests, high sholas and wet grasslands. The species of flora include Acacia arabica (Karivelam), Acacia leucofolia (Velvelam), Santalum album (Chandanam), Anogeissuslatifolia (Mazhukanjiram), Elaeocarpus recurvatus (Bhadraksham) and Strobilanthus kunthianus (Neelakurinji).

» Fauna - The Chinnar National Park is best known as the second home to the endangered giant grizzled squirrel in India. The Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is also homes tigers, elephant, bonnet macaques, gaur, Kraits, spotted deer, Hanuman monkey, Peacocks spectacled cobras, sambar, turtles, vipers, little cormorants,darters and black eagles.

Accommodation Facilities

Accommodation options include private lodges at Marayoor, Munnar and Udumalpetta. One can also find accommodation in the government guesthouses at Munnar and Udumalpetta.