The Western Ghats of Kerala provide a natural habitat to wildlife. Kerala has restored it's wildlife and nature through all these years inspite of plenty of hardships and difficulties. To preserve the wildlife the government has established numerous Wildlife Sanctuaries all over Kerala. Today we have the privilage of witnessing various species of creatures which would not have been possible without these Sanctuaries. Below I have listed a few Wildlife Sanctuaries which have played an important role in preserving the Natural Habitat of the Wild Animals and have facilitated their existence in Kerala. 

Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary
Elephants, sloth bear, sambar, mouse-deer etc. are found in this sanctuary. It is also rich in avifauna and reptiles. This sanctuary is easily accessible from Kannur.

Chimmoni Wildlife Sanctuary
Established in 1984, the Chimmoni Wildlife Sanctuary lies contiguous to the Peechi - Vazhani Sanctuary. It is endowed with scenic beauty and a rich and varied wildlife. Elephant, sambar, Gaur, Malabar Squirrel, Sloth bear etc, can be seen here. One can reach here most comfortably from Thrissur.

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
Proximity to Eravikulam National Park and Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu makes Chinnar rich in wildlife. This sanctuary is easily accessible from Udumalpet in Tamil Nadu and Munnar in Kerala.

Eravikulam National Park
This sanctuary was established specially for the preservation of Nilgiri Tahr, one of the most endangered animals on the planet. Now the number of tahrs has increased and they constitute the largest known population of tahrs existing in the world. In addition to tahr, the park houses elephants, sambars, gaurs, lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, tigers and leopards. Accommodation and board facilities are available at Munnar, the nearest town, which is connected to Kottayam (148 km.) and Ernakulam (130 km.) by road. There is a motorable road upto Rajamally. Further, travel is on foot which makes for some great trekking.

Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary
A 70 sq. km. area of forest land in between the Periyar and Cheruthoni rivers form an excellent habitat for wildlife. Elephants, bisons, bear, wild boars, sambar etc are found in this area. The lake on the three sides of the sanctuary offers a panoramic view to the tourists.

Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary
The Neyyar reservoir is easily navigable and extends 9.06 sq. km. The vegetation varies from tropical wet evergreen to grasslands. The Agasthyakoodam hill, 1890 metres high, lies in the premises of the sanctuary. Elephants, gaur, sloth bear, Nilgiri tahr, jungle cat, wild boar, Nilgiri langur etc. are seen. A crocodile rearing centre, deer farm and lion safari park are the main attractions. 

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary 
Parambikulam has one of the largest population of gaur (bison). Sambar, spotted deer, jungle cat, lion-tailed macaque, common otter, sloth bear etc. are the other inhabitants. There are also a few tigers and leopards. Facilities for boarding and lodging are available at the sanctuary. There are forest rest houses at Thunacadavu, Thellikkal and Elathode. Motor transport and boat cruise can be arranged on request. The Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu lies adjacent.

Peechi - Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary
It lies in the catchment areas of Peechi and Vazhani dams in Trichur District. Peechi, the headquarters of the sanctuary is 15 km by road from Trichur.

Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary
Peppara is accessible from Vithurai on Thiruvananthapuram - Ponmudi road. This sanctuary with its rich fauna and birds is emerging as a big attraction to wildlife enthusiasts. It is spread over an area of 53 Sq. km. on the Western Ghats. Elephant, sambar, leopard and lion-tailed macaque are some of the commonly seen animals. 


Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thekkady
The most renowned destination is the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary at Thekkady, one of India's major sanctuary areas. The drive to Thekkady itself is enchanting as the road winds through tranquil countryside, rich plantations and thick jungles. 

The sanctuary offers a lovely and comfortable way to see the animals via boat rides on the man-made lake, which the wildlife areas encircle. In addition to the wild life, there are water and land birds galore here, and one can sometimes find dedicated bird watchers setting in for one or two weeks of serious observations.

Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary
Formed around the Kallida Irrigation Project, the Shenduruny Valley is one of the richest floral areas of Kerala. Elephant, Tiger, Leopard, Bear and the Lion-tailed Macaque can be found here. Closely is Tenmalai, where a number of tea and coffee estates can be found. It is conveniently accessible from Kollam.

Silent Valley National Park
The Silent Valley contains India's last substantial stretch of tropical evergreen rain forests and it is perhaps the only vestige of a near virgin forest in the whole of the Western Ghats. Elephants, tigers, wild dog, flying squirrel and lion-tailed macaque are found here. Vehicular traffic is allowed upto Mukkali from Mannarghat. From Mukkali one has to cover at least 24 km on foot to reach the source of river Kuntipuzha, which flows through the valley.
Nearest railhead is Palghat, 75 km away. Admission to the park is restricted. Prior permission is required to visit the park. For further detail contact: The Divisional Forest Officer, Palghat.

Thattekad Bird Sanctuary 
This bird sanctuary is a peninsular land of 25 sq. km, formed between the branches of the river Periyar. The avifauna includes both resting indigenous birds and water birds. The most notable of the indigenous birds are Malabar grey hornbill, grey jungle fowl, heron, egret, jungle myna, wood pecker, rose winged and blue winged parakeet. Rare birds like Ceylon frog-mouth, rose billed roller etc. can also be sighted.

Wynad Wildlife Sanctuary 
Also known as the 'Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary', it is remarkable for the seasonal colour changes of the forests here. Bordering the Mudumulai Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and Nagarhole and Bandipur Sanctuaries in Karnataka, the Wynad Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over 344 sq kms. Resident and migratory elephants, spotted deer, gaur, sambar,sloth bear and many varieties of birds and reptiles can also be seen here. As the name suggests it is better to be in Wynad to visit the Sanctuary.

Inspite of the efforts of the Government some species of wildlife have vanished ( perished ). The only creature to blame for such unexpected disappearence is Man. Due to his constant greed for money and worldly comforts he has forgotten about his co-creatures. Even today every minute I write down this words one species of wildlife disappears from this earth. This are the consequences of the ever increasing greed of mankind. Below I've listed some information about those animals which were once abundant but now RARE. They are on the verge of extinction, I would request you to help these creatures in any possible way.