WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES IN INDIA
India the land of the majestic tiger and the graceful elephant, the magnificent peacock and the gigantic rhinoceros, offers natural habitat to the wild animals in its Wildlife sanctuaries and national parks is indeed, a delight for the nature lover.
The wildlife sanctuaries and national parks spread across the country offer a fascinating diversity of terrain, flora and fauna. India has preserved vast tracts of forests and habitats in its 441 Wildlife Sanctuaries and 80 National Parks. So next time you travel to India, take a refuge in the quietude along with the wildlife and watch the exuberance of the bountiful nature in India!

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala
Area: 777 sq. km.Core: 350 sq. km. Buffer: 427 sq. km Established : 1950 as a sanctuary, 1978 as a tiger reserve.
About Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary:Periyar National Park is situated in the hills of the Western Ghats in the state of Kerala in SW India. The centre piece of Periyar National park is the 5,500-hectare Periyar lake formed by the construction of a dam on the Periyar river in 1895.The dam submerged low-lying forest whose dead tree trunks still jut out of the waters. Along the fringes of the lake are marshy areas with tall grasslands. This is one of the richest habitats of large mammals, as it provides both excellent cover and nourishment in the form of succulent shoots and grasses. Here it is possible to see large herds of Indian Elephant with relative ease as well as Nilgiri Langur near Aranya Niwas and the Liontail Macaque in higher areas.The forests are tropical, a mixture of deciduous, semi-evergreen, and evergreen ‘sholas’, the last occurring in the moist valleys and characterised by tall trees and a closed canopy. The forests alternate with extensive patches of grasslands. Periyar’s rich bird life includes the Giant Hornbill, Cormorant, Darter, Osprey and Racket-tailed Drongo. The Indian Python and King Cobra are among the reptilian fauna. Periyar has a few Nilgiri Tahr, good numbers of which may also be seen on a day excursion to nearby Eravikulam National Park near Munnar.Main Fauna in Periyar:In Periyar Tiger Reserve 49 species of mammals, 265 species of birds, 36 species of reptiles, 12 species of amphibians, 35 species of fishes and 160 species of butterflies have been identified so far. Some important mammals are tiger, leopard, elephant, gaur, sambar, wild dog, barking deer, lion tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur and Nilgiri tahr.Main flora found in Periyar:Periyar Widllife Sanctuary boasts a quite rich and diverse flora. The flora in Periyar National Park chiefly comprises of Tropical Evergreen forests (30,500ha) and Semi-evergreen forests (27,500ha) around the reservoir, and Moist-deciduous forests and Woody grasslands in the central part of the park.

Assan Barrage Bird Sanctuary- A Bird Watchers Paradise The Asan Barrage, popularly known as Dhalipur lake, was created in the year 1967 as a result of the construction of Asan barrage at the confluence of the river Yamuna & Asan through Dhalipur power house. Asan Barrage is famous for bird watching.About Assan Barrage Bird Sanctuary: The Asan reservoir attracts 53 species of water birds of which 19 are winter migrants from Eurasia. During winter months 90% of the waterbird population comprises the following 11 migratory species, namely Brahminy Duck, Pintail, Red Crested Pochard, Gadwall, Common Pochard, Mallard, Coot, Wigeon, Common Teal, Tufted Duck, and Shoveller.Topography of Assan Barrage Bird SanctuaryThe Asan Reservoir is a small man-made wetland of ca. 4 sq km area, located 40 km west of Dehradun, in the west of Dehradun valley on Dehradun-Paonta road. Geographically it is situated between latitude 30o 24'-30o 28' N and longitude 77o 40'-77o 44' E, near the confluence of the rivers Asan and Yamuna. The barrage is 287.5 m long, the river bed being 389.4 m above sea level, with minimum and maximum water levels respectively at 402.4 m and 403.3 m asl.The Asan reservoir exists throughout the year and is fed from the river Asan and the discharge channel of Yamuna through Dhalipur powerhouse. Although the water level is controlled, it often goes down, and swampy islands in the middle become visible, attracting a variety of marsh-loving birds like Egrets, Herons and Lapwings, etc.Climate (Assan Barrage Bird Sanctuary):The reservoir has a typical North Indian monsoon climate, with distinct summer and winter months. Temperature: summer, max.38o C, min. 14o C; winter max. 21o C, min. 2o C; Average Rainfall 250 cm; South West monsoon during June