Saturday, March 03, 2018

Travel through Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

A continuation of travel to Munnar…

BeFunky Collages

Following Anamalai Tiger Reserve, we entered the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary as well as the state of Kerala crossing the border check posts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is facilitated with ecotourism where tourist can stay and enjoy wildlife from their rest houses and take safaris and hiking through forest. The Chinnar got its name from the river Chinnar, meaning small river, which travels long the northern edge of the sanctuary defining the state boundary of Tamil Nadu/Kerala by East-West.

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(the monkey leaped on our car bonnet and we're force to roll up the windows)

It continues to be cloudy and slightly drizzle to keep environment wet as we travel for about 13km through the sanctuary and few kms from check post the Pambar River joins for company along the left side of the road and as we continue to elevate through hills the river travelled against us as gorge. We stopped at few places to watch the river flowing amid the wild forest and hills and at some places making beautiful waterfalls. Near the check post of the Sanctuary we are attracted to the handing bridges made for monkeys to cross the road, and we find couple of monkeys using the bridges, which remind me Valparai, where I saw the bridges made for same to the endangered Lion tailed macaques.  

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With Eravikulam National Park to the south and Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary (Anamalai Tiger Reserve) to north and Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary to east, Chinnar forms an integral part of 1187 sq. km of protected forests. The road from Udumalpet-Munnar passes though the sanctuary, divides it into nearly equal portions and the Chinnar and Pambar rivers being a perennial of the sanctuary leads to Amaravati Dam after merging at the interstate boundary. The Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is home to 34 species of mammals including Tigers, Panthers, Elephants and Nilgiri Tahr and Indian star tortoise and mugger crocodiles live largely in the sanctuary.

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A forest camp site is down the valley and close to the Pambar river

The Ecoregion of the sanctuary comprises mostly grassland and wet grasslands vegetation with 965 species of flowering plants and some South Western Ghats montane rain forest and moist deciduous forest and high sholas. The Maraoor sandalwood forest or reserve is located close to the sanctuary and Thoovanam waterfalls is a must watch for anyone on this route. More on later…

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Pambar river creating little falls like flow
Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

16 comments:

eileeninmd said...

Hello, Jeevan! The sanctuary looks like an awesome place to visit. I like the monkeys, they have a nice hanging bridge to cross. Great photos. Thanks so much for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

RUTH FASHION DIARY said...

Great to comeback here and see your amazing posts,you always spark joy and great thoughts from a brilliant mind every time I read Your stories.Be blessed always and keep it up.The photos remind me of my village.

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Marvellous post, Jeevan. Absolutely gorgeous

Lady Fi said...

Wonderful shots.

Nancy Chan said...

That is one big monkey! They are intelligent animals.

ashok said...

Seems u had a great trip...

carol l mckenna said...

Beautiful nature shots and the monkey too! Fascinating are his actions!

Happy Week to you,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

Christine said...

Extraordinary scenes! An amazing safari & what a treat to see the macaques on the ladder!

George said...

This looks like a wonderful wildlife sanctuary -- thanks for taking us along with you. I found the bridges for the monkeys to be interesting and am glad you got a photo of a monkey using one of them.

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Breathtaking said...

Hello Jeevan!:) Wonderful photos and commentary. Stunning scenery with the Pambar river running through the forest. It's a paradise for nature lovers. I enjoyed seeing the monkey on the bridge, and on the car bonnet,..they are such curious and mischievous creatures. When we once visited a nature reserve, a monkey stole our windscreen wipers,...just snatched them and ran away!!:) Cheeky Monkey!!:=)

Ramakrishnan said...

Breathtaking pictures ! Lots of rhesus monkeys here !

Twilight Man said...

I always loved to see the nature and countrysides around your country. There are so many forests too like Malaysia and looks misty along the roads. I love that!
Oh that monkey was really brave to jump onto your car. This species looked bigger and lighter coloured than our leaf monkeys here.

Uppal said...

It's gladdening to read your narrative of a wildlife sanctuary.You must have enjoyed going through exciting experiences. Gorgeous pictures you have shot!!

GreenComotion said...

What a beautiful forested area!
I have never been to this place.
May be it is someplace to check out on my next trip.
I love the monkeys' photos.
Have a Happy Weekend, Jeevan!
Peace :)

L. D. said...

That is an interesting place to visit. It is the mountain areas that do look like a lot of deciduous trees are there. Monkeys are great things to observe.