Fauna in Periyar National Park

Set amidst the Cardamom and Pandalam Hills of the western ghats in Kerala, Periyar National Park is home to some of the most exotic fauna in the world. Since its declaration as a national park in 1982, it has provided natural shelter to a vast Indian tiger and elephant reserve.

The fauna in Periyar National Park is characterized by a rich diversity of vertebrates, which are abundant in numbers. Although the figures are not well documented, the national park is believed to be home to 62 species of mammals, 320 species of birds, 27 species of amphibians, 320 species of birds, and 38 species of fish. Owing to such a variety of animals, Periyar National Park attracts a lot of wildlife enthusiasts.

Main Species

Mammals

Indian tiger, Elephant, Sambar, Barking deer, Mouse deer, Indian wild dog, Gaur, Otter, Nilgiri Tahr, Wild Pigs, Niligiri Langur, Common Langur, Bonnet Macaque, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Striped-necked Mongoose, Sloth Bear, Travancore flying squirrel, and rare lion-tailed macaque.

Reptiles

Monitor lizard, King Cobra, Malabar Pit Viper, Striped Coral Snake.

Birds

Nilgiri wood pigeon, Blue-winged parakeet, Crimson-backed sunbird, Brahminy kite, White-bellied blue catcher, Malabar grey hornbill, Sri Lanka frogmouth, Rufous-bellied hawk eagle, Black baza, and Spot-bellied eagle owl.