Kunthakulam Bird Sanctuary
Kunthakulam
bird sanctuary is situated 33-km south of Tirunelveli in Nanguneri taluk.
Kunthakulam is a small and natural scenic village, which is covered with
natural forests and ponds. During the season January to April every year
more than 10 thousand birds from various countries like Pakistan, Myanmar,
Sri Lanka, USA, Australia migrate here and when the season is over the birds
return. Every day more than 5,000 people come here and enjoy. Ariyakulam,
13-km east of Tirunelveli has another bird sanctuary.
How to get there ?
Tirunelveli is the nearest city, which is well connected by rail and road
with the important places within and beyond the state.
Rail - The nearest convenient railway station is at
Tirunelveli, which is an important railway junction on the southern railway
and is connected to all major cities of South India.
Road - From
Tirunelveli, there are regular buses to the sanctuary. A good network of
roads serves Tirunelveli. There are bus services to Chennai, Madurai,
Trichy, Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, etc.
Mudumalai Wildlife
Sanctuary
The
Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary is located where the Nilgiri Hills, the
offshoot of the Western Ghats meet the Eastern Ghats. The Mysore - Ooty
highway runs through the sanctuary, following the course of the Mayyar
River, which separates Mudumalai from Bandipur.
This 321-sq-kms wide sanctuary encompasses a National Park measuring an
area of 103-sq-kms. The sanctuary has varied mixture of flat land, open
grassland, swamp and valleys. Apart from the wide range of animal and bird
life, the rich fauna of this sanctuary has made Mudumalai very popular with
wildlife enthusiasts.
There are tigers at Mudumalai, though it takes a lot of luck and
perseverance to spot one of these big cats that are such masters of stealth.
But there are several other creatures of the jungle that can be sighted more
easily.
Flora :
The vegetation is quite varied in this region. The hilly terrain of the
Western Ghats, clothed in dense mixed and moist deciduous forests, make
Mudumalai (the ancient hills) a most attractive wildlife reserve. Bamboos
(Bambusa Arundinacea) Natural teak (Tectona Grandis), Anogeissus latifolia,
Terminalia, Crenulata/Terminalia Tomontosa, Grewia, and blooming trees like
Indian Labumusum, Aredesia, Solanancea are some of the flora.
Fauna :
The fauna include Elephants, Gaur, Banner, Macaque, Common Langur, Tigers,
Leopards, Chital, Panther, Sloth Bear, Python, Barking Deer, Four Horned
Antelope, Otter, Crocodiles (Mugger), Giant Flying Squirrel, Sambar, Hyena,
Wild Dog, Wild Boar, Mouse Deer, Spotted Deer, Jackal, Hare, Porcupine and
Mongoose.
The birds listed in this sanctuary are Peacock-our National bird, Grey
Jungle Fowl, Red Spur Fowl, Grey Partridge Quails, Goggle Eyed Plower,
Malabar Whistling Thrush, Large Racket-Tailed Dronge, The Magpie-robin,
Spotted Babbler, Small Green Barbet, Green Pigeons, Brown Dove, Malabar Grey
Hornbill, Bulbuls, Mynahs, etc. Among birds of prey, Eagles, Hawks,
Buzzards, Harriers, Falcons and King Vulture are predominant, besides some
migratory water birds.
How to get there ?
Air - The nearest airport is at Coimbatore, 160-km away.
Rail - The sanctuary is located at a distance of 65-km
from Udhagamandalam railway station and 95-km from Mysore station.
Road - Gudalur (16-km) is the nearest town to the
sanctuary, which is situated along the Udhagamandalam - Mysore highway. This
sanctuary could be reached from Mysore as well. There are regular buses from
Udhagamandalam, Mysore and the neighbouring towns to the sanctuary.
Mundanthurai Wildlife
Sanctuary
Guindy
National Park is one of the prime visiting spots for those who come to
Chennai during vacation period. A recommended picnic spot for the entire
family to spend a day amidst nature and return home joyfully in the evening.
This National Park encompasses a snake park and a children's park as well.
Guindy National Park is botanically very interesting in as much as it is
the only one of its kind to carry even today a derelict vegetation truly
representative of the natural thorny scrub jungle of the southern dry zone
interspersed with more than 30 tree species whic h include a number of
centuries old gigantic shady banyan trees. This park with a network of
road's, footpaths, nature trails, lakes and ponds, all situated amidst
sylvan surroundings offers good opportunities for viewing wild life.
Historical Background Of The Park :
If we look into the historical background of the Guindy Park, in earlier
days it was actually a hunting preserve. Later it was known as "Guindy
Lodge" and it belonged to a British citizen named Gilbert Rodericks. In
1817, the owner died with the property heavily mortgaged.
Then in 1821, the Government of Madras
purchased it for a sum of Rs. 35,000/ or 10,000 pagodas (pagodas being the
gold currency at that time). Later in 1910, it was declared as reserved
forests. In 1947, it became the permanent residence of the Governor (400
hectares) and was called "Raj Bhavan".
The then Prime Minister Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru permitted a small area to be
cordoned off as a park for children. In 1958, it was actually handed over to
the Forest department. The land nearby was allocated for Gandhi Mandapam
(1954), IIT (1961), Guru Nanak Educational Society (1970), Rajaji Memorial
(1974), Kamaraj Memorial (1975) and Cancer Institute (1977).
Guindy Park boasts of over 24 varieties of trees, for example, Amona
Squamosa, Atlanta Monoplylla, Feronia Limonia, Azadirachta India, etc. to
mention a few. Also more than 14 varieties of shrubs are also found in the
park.
The main faunal attraction of this park is the occurrence of rare Indian
Antelope popularly known as the "Black Buck", found nowhere in the
world except India. Over 14 types of mammals like Elephant, Antelope,
Spotted Deer, Jungle Cat, Toddy Cat, Indian civet, etc. can also be seen
here.
The park also accounts for over 37 varieties of birds, like the King
Fisher, Blue Jay, Golden Backed Woodpecker, Crow Pheasant, Yellow Wattled
Lapwing, Red Wattled Lapwing, Blue Faced Malkoha, Shrikes, Koels, Doves,
Minivets, Munias, Barkets, Parakeets, Grey Partridge, Tailor Birds, Robins,
Drongos, Quails, Beak Paradise, Flycatcher, Stone Curlew and so on. There
are also many kinds of amphibians and snakes to add to the variety that is
already available.
How to get there ?
Air - Chennai has an airport with both domestic and
international terminals. Regular flights connect Chennai with the major
cities within the country and also with countries like USA, Singapore, U.K.,
etc.
Rail - Chennai is well connected by rail with the
important towns and cities within and beyond the state.
Road - State transport buses and private buses connect
Chennai with the major towns and cities within the country. Local trains,
city buses, auto rickshaws and taxis are also available for local
transportation.
