Kerala’s Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary starts safari for tourists

The Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary which is located in Kerala’s Kollam district is starting a new attraction from today for visitors coming to this place bursting with flora and fauna and offering serene calmness.  Called Rosemala safari, it will cover a distance of 14 kilometres through SWS.

Rosemala village boasts of verdant hillocks, the shape of which resemble a rose flower and is one of the most visited places in the sanctuary.

The safari will provide an opportunity to the tourists to see a wide variety of wild animals including majestic tigers, highly endangered species of lion-tailed macaque, black langurs, elephants, sambar deer, leopards, barking deer, wild boars and others.

A favourite activity of people visiting SWS which was established on August 24, 1984, is bird watching. The place offers an array of birds both migratory, endemic and endangered, to be seen and observed. It is home to more than 250 species and among them are Malabar Grey Hornbill, Great Pied Hornbill, Black-crested Bulbul, and Indian Grey Hornbill. A highly elusive nocturnal forest bird, Great Eared Nightjar was also spotted here.

Apart from the wildlife, the sanctuary is home to more than 400 species of plants. These include rare medicinal plants like Myristica malabarica and Myristica Fragrans. There are many flowering plants belonging to 150 families that are also present here.

The sanctuary boasts of a rich cultural heritage as it is home to many tribal communities with whom one can interact and learn about their way of life. There are two temples too, the Achankovil Temple and the Adoor Kizhakkethala Temple.

Those who love adventure can do trekking. Some of the popular trekking trails are Sky Walk, Reservoir Walk and Wet ‘N’ Wild trial. There are camping packages also offered by the authorities.

There is boat facility also available at the Parapppar dam reservoir located inside the sanctuary.

There will be two trips of Rosemala safari every day. One is at 9.30 a.m. and the other at 2.30 p.m. The visitors will be taken in a 24-seater bus which will charge Rs.250 per person and there will be no fee for children below eight years. In the event of more people wishing to go in the safari, an additional jeep service is also available.