Chenthuruni Wildlife Sanctuary- Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary

The Shenduruny wildlife sanctuary is located at a distance of 66 kilometers from Kollam town. The wildlife sanctuary has been named after a tree that is found here that is called Chenkuruny. At the center of the Shenduruny national park, Kerala, is an artificial lake formed by the Parappar dam and the Kulathupuzha River. This lake is also an important tourist attraction and is worth a visit.

The Shenduruny wildlife sanctuary is home to diverse forms of wildlife and vegetation. The sanctuary is covered with lush forest cover and has many exotic plants, some of which are medically important. Among the wildlife, one can find animals like elephants, gaur, leopards, Nilgiri Langur, spotted deer, barking deer, boars, bonnet macaque, etc.

It is believed that Shenduruny was the spot of one of the oldest river valley civilizations of India and dated back to 4400-3700 BC. This is older than the Indus valley civilization of North India. There is a huge cave in Shenduruny that has remains of the Stone Age that dates back to the Mesolithic Era. There are cave paintings in the caves that resemble ones found in central India. The caves are large enough to hold 20 people at a time.

Flora
There are a numerous types of vegetations found in this reserve, which includes the west coast tropical evergreen forest, west coast tropical semi-evergreen forest, southern moist mixed deciduous forest and the southern hilltop tropical evergreen forest. An interesting thing about this sanctuary is the climate of this place that has allowed over 951 species of plants to thrive in this region. Plants found in this part of Kerala have medicinal values. Hence, many pharmaceutical companies send their research teams and scientists to this part of Kerala, in order to explore various herbs and plants found here.

Fauna
This part of the forest has varied fauna which can be explored if one wishes to penetrate deep into the core area. However, this is possible only with the exquisite permission of the forest authorities. Indian bison, the Sambar deer, the Muntjack or barking deer, the Indian chevrotain or mouse deer, wild boar and the Indian elephant wander freely on the soil of this forest. If one goes out for a walk in this forest one is destined to encounter these magnificent beasts. The parts of the sanctuary which are less exploited still serve as a home for various exotic beasts.

How to Reach Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary Kollam

By Air
The nearest airport is at Trivandrum, at a distance of 70 kilometers from the sanctuary.

By Rail
The sanctuary is easily reachable from Thenmala railway station, located near the sanctuary.

By Roads
The sanctuary is well connected to Kollam and Kerala by a wide network of roads.