page_title: Protected areas of Kerala
section_title: Wildlife sanctuaries
hierarchical_section_title: Protected areas of Kerala / Wildlife sanctuaries
caption_attribution_description: English: Aerial View of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. View of Chinnar montane rain forest. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.
context_page_description: The protected areas of Kerala include a wide range of biomes, extending east from the coral reefs, estuaries, salt marshes, mangroves and beaches of the Arabian Sea through the tropical moist broadleaf forests of the Malabar Coast moist forests to the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests and South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests to South Western Ghats montane rain forests on the western border of Tamil Nadu in the Western Ghats. Most protected areas throughout its 14 districts are under the stewardship of the Kerala Forest Department and like all other protected areas of India receive support from the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
context_section_description: Wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala include:
  Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Idukki District, 427 km² (165 sq mi), established in 1950
  Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Thiruvananthapuram District, 128 km² (49 sq mi), altitude 80 m-1866 m, established in 1958:  reed brakes, ibex, lion tailed macaque, Indian elephant, Nilgiri langur, crocodile, shola birds, more than 150 endemics.
  Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary in Thrissur District, 125 km² (48 sq mi), altitude 40 m-928 m, established in 1958
  Muthangha Wildlife Sanctuary in Wayanad District, 344.44 km² (132.99 sq mi), altitude 800 m-1158 m, established in 1973: Indian elephant, Bengal tiger
  Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary in Palakkad District, 285 km² (110 sq mi), altitude 459 m-1439 m, established in 1973: Nilgiri tahr, lion tailed macaque, gaur, Indian elephant
  Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary in Idukki District, 70 km² (27 sq mi), altitude 600 m-1200 m, established in 1976: Indian elephant, sambar
  Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary in Thiruvananthapuram District, 53 km² (20 sq mi), altitude 60 m-1717 m, established in 1983: lion tailed macaque, Indian elephant, shola birds
  Thattekad Bird Sanctuary in Idukki District, 25.16 km² (9.71 sq mi), altitude 30 m-620 m, established in 1983: Birds
  Chimmony Wildlife sanctuary in Thrissur District, 85 km² (33 sq mi), altitude  50 m-1116 m, established in 1984: Indian elephant, Bengal tiger
  Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary in Kollam District, 171 km² (66 sq mi), altitude 120 m-1785 m, established in 1984: Myristica swamps, Bengal tiger, lion tailed macaque, shola birds, lesser predators, Gluta Travancorica trees
  Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Idukki District, 90.44 km² (34.92 sq mi), altitude 440 m -2300m, established in 1984: sandal forests, dry habitat species of animals and birds, Nilgiri tahr, Indian elephant
  Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kannur District, 55 km² (21 sq mi), altitude 60m-1598m, established in 1984: gaur, sambar, Nilgiri langur
  Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary in Ernakulam District, 0.0274 km² (0.0106 sq mi), almost at sea level, established in 2004
  Kurinjimala Sanctuary in Idukki District, 32 km² (12 sq mi), altitude approx. 800 m-2550 m, established in 2006: Neelakurinji
  Ranipuram Wildlife Sanctuary proposed 2007 in Kasaragod district, approx. 80 km² (31 sq mi) is an integral part of Brahmagiri biosphere: shola forests, Indian elephants, Indian leopards, wild dogs, various species of birds, Malabar large-spotted civets, slender loris, macaque; no protection for this biodiversity area; illegal night hunting and poaching are main threats; attention of the concerned authorities is required to declare it a wildlife sanctuary.
caption: Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
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