Wildlife Sanctuaries in India – The Attraction Never Ceases

The call of the wild is not something I can ignore. Like every year in the past few years, this year too, I felt that unmistakable urge to ‘take cover’ in the wild. The daily grind had worn me thin; the forests were exercising their spell on me. So, off I went, backpack in tow, to add yet another name to my ever-growing list of wildlife sanctuaries visited in India.

Every wildlife expedition had taught me to expect the unexpected. And it was no different on my tour of wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala. I was carrying in my mind images of my earlier travels to the Ranthambore National Park and Sariska Wildlife National Park.

Both expeditions had been tremendously satisfying. Ranthambore was a breathtaking picture of streams crisscrossing islands of dense canopies of trees. In the middle of such lush vegetation, rose rocks in various shapes. My heart nearly stopped when I saw the unmistakable black and yellow stripes of the ‘Big Cat’ through my binoculars as it slouched its way through, behind a thicket of trees.

Sariska was a treat too. Taking the advice of our able guide, we booked ourselves a ‘hide’ from where we not only got splendid views of the undulating hills and valleys that form the topography of Sariska; but saw Chitals, Nilgai, and a host of jungle fowls, and wild birds, unwittingly posing as the perfect subjects of many a picture perfect snap.

The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala was a fresh experience. The sanctuary promised to be a kaleidoscope of colors, an orchestra of sounds – a stage that enacts the same play that never ceases to refresh you even if you were to take up the same perch day on day. I took an elephant safari through this sanctuary, and I was left asking for more…

I exhausted almost all the sanctuaries in Kerala – the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, the Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary and left with vows to return some time in the future. In my insane rush from one corner of Kerala to the other, I must thank my tour operator for getting me the best possible package. If you are a wildlife enthusiast, you would not want to travel with anyone else, trust me!