Wildlife Sanctuaries in India Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary Fact File

General Information
Area Core Buffer Longitude Latitude Altitude Rainfall Temperature Seasons Monsoon Summer Winter	777 sq. km. 350 sq. km. 427 sq. km. 76º57' and 77º25' E 9º16' and 9º36' N 100 m to 2016 m above M.S.L. 2500 mm Min - 15ºC - Max 31ºC South-west and North-east monsoon with maximum rainfall in July and minimum in January April - May December - January

Census
Animals	1978	1987	1988	1989	1991	1993*
Bonnet Macaque Lion Tailed Macaque Nilgiri Langur Sambar Gaur Tiger Leopard Wild Dog Elephants Wild Gaur Barking deer Mouse deer Malabar giant Squirre Indian Porcupine Small Indian Civet Common Palm Civet Sloth bear	10 troops 11 troops 170 troops 452 100 34 14 packs 49 packs 588 500	50 200 300 490 350 45 26 55 950 1100	65 235 839 560 378 45 27 64 1020 1300	32 182 765 580 412 46 21 62 980 1290	---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 46 ---- ---- ---- ----	48 90 1530 10.37D 1.59 D 33 7 D 216.6 D/E 615 27.14 D 30 200 D/E 6.75 D 417.5 D/E 84.29 D/E 218.11D/E 284.68 DS

Note
1.) Just a figure indicates the Total Number.
2.) D - Density/sq. km.
3.) D/E - Density of indirect evidence/sq. km.
4.) DS - Density of scat/sq. km.
5.) DO - Direct observation per sq. km.
6.) 93* - The census was held from 30/4 to 3-5-93 with public involvement and was organized and analyzed by Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi.
7.) 96* - The census was held from 6th to 10th December 1996 with public involvement and was organized by park Authorities. Many of the pug marks could not be taken, since unexpected rains due to a freak cyclone had partially obliterated them.

Tourism
Year-wise Visitors

Year	Indian	Foreigner	Total
1990-91 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97	2,53,118 2,17,898 2,33,896 1,70,365 1,85,182 2,52,473 2,77,278	11,425 20,149 19,443 7,315 11,073 9,911 10,145	2,64,543 2,38,047 2,53,330 1,77,680 1,96,255 2,62,384 2,87,423

Infrastructure and Facilities
Six dormitories are available for nature awareness campaigns and visitors. Six boats are run by the department for tourists.

Highways
The existing Vandiperiyar-Moozhiyar-Kakki Road, which passes through the Reserve, is being handed over to the Public Works Department.

Diseases
Nil

Encroachment
Nil

Other
Overlapping Jurisdiction
Overlapping Jurisdiction of Grassland Afforestation Division in part of the Reserve.

Dual Control Over Tourism
Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) is running three luxury hotels and five boats as an independent agency.

Pilgrims at Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple
The Sabarimala Ayyappan Temple in Periyar Tiger Reserve attracts 5 million pilgrims during the 60-day duration of the pilgrimage. Problems associated with the pilgrimage are fuel wood collection from forest, garbage, degradation of forests, more demand for land, new constructions, and the threat of a proposed Sabri Rail in the near future, etc. There is no proper co-ordination between the Forest Department and Devaswam Board.

Electric Line and Electrocution of Wildlife
8 elephants, 2 Nilgiri langurs and one flying squirrel have been electrocuted by the electric line supplying power to the Lake Palace run by KTDC.

Ganja Cultivation
Illegal ganja cultivation exists in the interior areas of the Reserve. The ganja cultivators clear prime forests in the deep interior by felling since the ganja plant is a strong light demander. As the crop takes 6 months to harvest, there is a prolonged stay of the laborers within the forests and associated damages, including poaching, take place.

Pachakkanam Esate
The Estate mainly cultivates cardamom under the semi-evergreen forest canopy of huge trees. The total area of the estate is 208.576 ha. As the Estate is on the boundary of the Periyar Tiger Reserve and the general vegetation is similar to that of the Reserve, wild animals visit the area frequently. Several experts have recommended the merger of the Estate with the Reserve.

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