#Chinnarwildlifesanctuary

[environmentindia]

Ripple in the Waters: Eurasian Otter Discovery in Western Ghats' Sanctuary

A thrilling discovery made by Mohan, S. K., and team in 2023 reveals something incredible! They spotted the elusive Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) right here in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary within our beautiful Western Ghats. Two of these otters spotted in a rocky-torrential stream back in March 2020. These little fellas were on a frenzy, darting among submerged rocks, exploring nooks and crannies, and sometimes taking playful dives. What’s fascinating is their preference for spots where the water roars with energy, avoiding the calm and shallow areas.

Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra depositing spraints

Now, here’s the real scoop on where they were found – it's a paradise up there! At 1,275 meters altitude in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, there’s lush greenery, these halfway-between forests (called transitional sholas), and patches of green along a speedy stream with big rocks and fallen trees. And get this – this place isn’t just for our Eurasian Otter friends; it's also a sweet spot for the Asian Small-clawed Otter (Aonyx cinereus). Looks like they're sharing the space wisely!

Recorded site of Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra from Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

But here’s where it gets interesting: this discovery shakes up what we thought we knew about where these otters like to hang out in the Western Ghats. It's shouting out loud that we need to dive deeper into understanding these otters – their types, where they live, how many there are, and what they’re up to. Knowing all this stuff is like giving them a shield from the things that threaten them – losing their homes, sand mining, being hunted, and their numbers going down. It’s clear as daylight that if we want to keep these otters safe and sound in our precious Western Ghats, we’ve got to take care of the greenery by the streams. It’s like giving them a big, leafy hug and saying, “We got you, little buddies!”

Source 👉 Mohan, S. K., Nath, L. R., Subin, K. S., Govindankutty, S. K., & Nameer, P. O. (2023). Recent record of Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758)(Mammalia: Carnivora: Mustellidae) from Kerala part of the Western Ghats, India and an insight into the behaviour and habitat preferences. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 15(12), 24352-24356.

[preponias]

Eurasian Otter

[samcoool]

A Mother's Love Knows No Bounds 🐒 ° ° ° Witness the unbreakable bond between a mother langur and her little one as they share a tender moment in the wild. 🌿 Cherish the beauty of nature and the love that transcends species. ° ° ° ° ° ° ° Device: Canonm200 with #tamron18400 ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° #naturelovers #naturephotography #wild #chinnarwildlifesanctuary #munnar #indiaphotography #greylangur #motherlove #wilderness #keralawildlife #wildlife_photography #wildlife_shots #wildlifeaddict #munnardiaries #natgeo #wildlifeonearth #wildlifephotographs #wildlifeplanet #wildlifewatching #wildlifeindia #wildlifecaptures (at Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary munnar) https://www.instagram.com/p/CrAjPe_rSZl/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[forestsindia]

Tree ladders effective in curbing roadkills at Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary https://www.forests.in/latest/tree-ladders-effective-in-curbing-roadkills-at-chinnar-wildlife-sanctuary/

[guidetourme]

Painavu- top hill station in Idukki

Painavu- top hill station in Idukki, Kerala

The hill top station, Painavu is regarded as a famous destination due to its picturesque location and pleasing ambience. Being nearer to Idukki wildlife sanctuary and Arch Dam people find it easier to locate this hill station and spend some time there. The place is basically visited from Idukki bus station which is just 5 km from there. The headquarters of Idukki district is located here. Being nearer to Munnar and Kochi people find this place an amazing weekend destination. It is a hill resort that stands at a height of 3900 ft. Painavu is a famous tourist hotspot as well a popular commercial centre. Te government engineering college of Idukki and the Civil Station is located here. In rainy and winter seasons you may spot elephants passing through the roads. Trekking is a wonderful activity that can be experienced here. And on the way you could have the pristine view of the nearby towns and forests and lakes from the hilltop. September to May is the best time to visit this place.

How to reach Painavu

The nearest railway station is Kottayam which is 98 km away. It is easily accessible through road and also by waterway. You can head for a cruise journey from this place that travels between Kalumavu and Cheruthoni.  Cochin International airport lies nearby that is only 100 km away. Public Buses and autos are available to reach the place but it is better to access journey in a rent cab or o your private vehicle as there are many beautiful spots to see on the way to Painavu and you must get down to have a look on those places which is possible only in a cab.

Nearby attractions of Painavu

Painavu is beautiful in itself and it takes half time of the day to visit the place. However stay there for a day to explore other places of interests. Chinnar wildlife sanctuary This one is in Marayoor and is one of the twelve wildlife sanctuaries in the state of Kerala. This sanctuary is taken well care by the government as it houses many wild species that includes mammals, birds and reptiles. Cheruthoni dam It is a popular dam in Idukki that supplies water for irrigation is some of the nearby towns and villages. The dam is suitable for photography purpose and also a peaceful weekend destination. The dam is built over Cheruthoni River which is tributary of Priyar River. This dam is one of the third dams in Project Idukki reservoir. Anakarra It is village that is near to the Idukki wildlife sanctuary and is famous for the plantations of spices and wonderful waterfalls. This small village is extended up to an area of 50 square kilometres. Idukki arch dam This is the second Arch dam among the whole world. It is a huge dam and is constructed across Kurathi and Kuravan hills. Place near the Cheruthoni Barrage, this is the best place to enjoy the greeneries of nature and soothe the tired eye. Keezzharrkuthu falls Standing at a height 1500 m this falls offers a nice destination for spending some time at the weekend. Lush green forest consists of medicinal plants that are used for preparing Herbal medicines. Camp tracking, mountaineering and rock climbing are some of the activities explored here.

Where to stay

Some of the best hotels in and around Painavu have been mentioned here. These hotels have been marked with brilliant hospitality and wonderful services that could not match any other resorts. Blue mount home stay Vagamon tourist home Hotel new Mereena Bell vedera resort Painavu is the most scenic place in the district and it has been known through many reviews of experienced people that they have enjoyed it at the highest and none other place in the district could provide such wonderful travelling experience. Being atop the hill you could get the opportunity to view the near and far scenic beauties. The weather is just awesome in the winter and rainy months and you must be there if you are planning for Kerala. Local people find this place an ideal weekend gateway to enjoy the silence of nature. Read the full article

[basilpoulose77-blog]

#chinnarwildlifesanctuary #fr #Friends #friendshipgoals #trucking #tourism #tour #travel (at Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary Munnar)

[theeincrediblekid]

I posted nearly 150 photos of our walk through the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary over on The Incredible Kid Facebook page if you want to know what it’s like to hike with forest guide Mr. Nagaraj through Kerala wilderness. #chinnarwildlifesanctuary #kerala (at Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary)

[rajkumarla]

crossing borders.. #chinnar #tamilnaduborder #keralaborder #photography #travel #munnar #travelbybus #totravelistolive #traveldiaries #windowseattraveller #windowseat #bustravel #aanavandiride #aanavandi #ksrtc #crossing #bordercrossing #RPE860 #checkpost #chinnarwildlifesanctuary #sh17 #anamalaitigerreserve #anamalai (at Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary)

[travelsmadurai]

#keralatouristplaceslist

#PlacestoVisitinKerala

Call +91-95858-33456

aksatravelsmdu@gmail.com

https://maduraiaksatravels.in

#Alleppey, #Munnar, #Waynand, #Cochin, #Kovalam, #Varkala, #Thekkady, #Kumarakom, #Idukki, #Bekal, #Thrissur, #Kasargod, #Vaganom, #Kollam, #Kuttanad and many more.

There are so many places to visit in Kerala that even a #weektrip is not enough. It is such a beautiful and charismatic #landpackages that it is known as God’s own country, #Kerala is one such state in #IndiaTour that is a blend of #natural #beauty and #magic. Known as the #SpiceCapitalofIndia, Kerala has been the central destination for

#honeymoonTour and #tourismpackages

Be prepared to be enchanted by the #backwaters in #Alleppey, #wildlife and #museums in #Wayanad, #ecovillage of #Idukki, #Valara #waterfalls, and the classic #Kochi. The magic of Kerala never vanishes, though it takes your breath away, The enthralling glimpse of the wildlife in Kerala and the beautiful #teaplantations make you want to stay here forever. Apart from villages and cities with natural beauty and plantations, there are a #plethora of #touristplaces to visit in Kerala.

Once you are here, there is no possibilities going back. Be sure to visit the famous #ThrissurZoo and witness the fauna of Kerala, along with visiting the rich #Wayanad

#HeritageMuseum, #BlossomPark, shop at the #TriveniFloatingMarket and spend some quality time at the Lockhart Gap View Point.

#Alleppey

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#VellayaniLake

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#WonderlaAmusementPark

[rosyrao]

A Trek To Remember!

Thoovanam Waterfalls

Should I call it “the waterfall trek” or “the butterfly trek”? In either ways the trek to Thoovanam waterfalls, gave me one of my best experiences.  It proved the saying that difficult paths lead to best destinations. So it did for us, Sebinster, Hadlee and me. We got lucky with a strike in Munnar, reason for which is still not known to us. We used the opportunity to do the trek that was just 50 kilometers from Munnar but needed us to take out time to experience it.

With Sebinster and Hadlee

Organized by the Kerala Forest department in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, the trek is led by EDC (Eco Development Committee) watchers, who belong to the indigenous tribes of Munnar. As we reached the booking counter with our cameras at Alampetty forest check post, the watchers surprised us with theirs. They have been given cameras which have now replaced the binoculars and prove better. They had some of the unbelievable shots of rarely sighted birds, which left us in awe.

Binu - our guide

It was not just a trek to the waterfall that everyone takes up within the forest. The weather and time of the year inspired our watcher Binu to take a different route altogether. His knowledge over the years made him create a trail over the rocks which were supposed to be the river – path that had dried up after monsoons. Hence, instead of taking the common trek route, we trekked over the rocks and ended up bouldering to get along. It turned out to be quiet adventurous and extra-ordinary, all thanks to Binu who was equally cautious about our safety.

Trek along 

The route proved to be a surprising treat to us, as on these rocks were millions of butterflies. Several kinds of them in their individual swarms, with some that fluttered and some that were resting to create beautiful patterns. It was the migratory period for the butterflies and we had seen several swarms on the way, but here we were awestruck by the numbers.

Common Albatross

Lime Butterfly

Right from the tiny crimson -roses to the elegant blue bottles, each species looked breath taking as they sat in huge numbers. The further we went, the bigger the swarms turned out to be and they rested after their long migrations, we got some of the best pictures.

Tribal women seen fishing 

On moving further, we found two ladies along the bank. They were the tribal of the region and had come down to wash and fish from the river. The scene stood enchanting us, as it was no less than picturesque setting.

View while trekking

Surprised and wondered as we stood and clicked pictures, Binu gave us the warning call. Tired of our photography session that extended his 3 hours trek to 4, even before reaching the waterfall, he asked us if we intended to go further as it would take us beyond the closing hours, making it impossible to visit the waterfall. To console him, we assured that we would proceed straight to the waterfall without any stop. Right enough to his wonder, we covered a 45 minutes trail in 20, which made Binu happy again and he got back to explaining us the terrain and about the various birds he had spotted in the last days. Rightly, these men who are seen as mere watchers from the tribes have better knowledge of nature, than a commoner.

Travellers relax on reaching the enchanting waterfall 

He could name and spot various birds and butterflies. We got lucky enough to spot the “Asian fairy blue bird” and also “Southern Bird-wing”, the largest butterfly of South India. Back on track, we took a shorter path of around an hour which we finished in just 40 minutes.  Finally, we finished the trek to the waterfall that enchants every passerby who gets its distant view from Chinnar road.

#tiptoetravelleRR #sebinsterphotography #ThoovanamWaterfalls #ChinnarWildlifeSanctuary #gotiptoe

[agostinigiulia]

Mountain. #india #kerala #chinnarwildlifesanctuary

[samcoool]

Monkeys Pose🐒(Swipe Please🐵) ° ° ° Some snaps in and around the enthralling wildlife Sanctuary of Chinnar 🙈 ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° #chinnarwildlifesanctuary #chinnar #munnardiaries #idukkidiaries #idukki_stories #wildlife #wildlifeplanet #greylangur #peacock #wildlifeaddicts #wildlifephoto #wildlifeofinstagram #marayoor #marayoorforest #tamron18400 #natgeoyourshot #wildlifesanctuary #canoncamera #naturephotography #nature_good #funphotography #natgeo #monkeyface #canon_photos (at Chinnar) https://www.instagram.com/p/CfdDiquJafG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[guidetourme]

Painavu- top hill station in Idukki

Painavu- top hill station in Idukki, Kerala

The hill top station, Painavu is regarded as a famous destination due to its picturesque location and pleasing ambience. Being nearer to Idukki wildlife sanctuary and Arch Dam people find it easier to locate this hill station and spend some time there. The place is basically visited from Idukki bus station which is just 5 km from there. The headquarters of Idukki district is located here. Being nearer to Munnar and Kochi people find this place an amazing weekend destination. It is a hill resort that stands at a height of 3900 ft. Painavu is a famous tourist hotspot as well a popular commercial centre. Te government engineering college of Idukki and the Civil Station is located here. In rainy and winter seasons you may spot elephants passing through the roads. Trekking is a wonderful activity that can be experienced here. And on the way you could have the pristine view of the nearby towns and forests and lakes from the hilltop. September to May is the best time to visit this place.

How to reach

The nearest railway station is Kottayam which is 98 km away. It is easily accessible through road and also by waterway. You can head for a cruise journey from this place that travels between Kalumavu and Cheruthoni.  Cochin International airport lies nearby that is only 100 km away. Public Buses and autos are available to reach the place but it is better to access journey in a rent cab or o your private vehicle as there are many beautiful spots to see on the way to Painavu and you must get down to have a look on those places which is possible only in a cab.

Nearby attractions of Painavu

Painavu is beautiful in itself and it takes half time of the day to visit the place. However stay there for a day to explore other places of interests. Chinnar wildlife sanctuary This one is in Marayoor and is one of the twelve wildlife sanctuaries in the state of Kerala. This sanctuary is taken well care by the government as it houses many wild species that includes mammals, birds and reptiles. Cheruthoni dam It is a popular dam in Idukki that supplies water for irrigation is some of the nearby towns and villages. The dam is suitable for photography purpose and also a peaceful weekend destination. The dam is built over Cheruthoni River which is tributary of Priyar River. This dam is one of the third dams in Project Idukki reservoir. Anakarra It is village that is near to the Idukki wildlife sanctuary and is famous for the plantations of spices and wonderful waterfalls. This small village is extended up to an area of 50 square kilometres. Idukki arch dam This is the second Arch dam among the whole world. It is a huge dam and is constructed across Kurathi and Kuravan hills. Place near the Cheruthoni Barrage, this is the best place to enjoy the greeneries of nature and soothe the tired eye. Keezzharrkuthu falls Standing at a height 1500 m this falls offers a nice destination for spending some time at the weekend. Lush green forest consists of medicinal plants that are used for preparing Herbal medicines. Camp tracking, mountaineering and rock climbing are some of the activities explored here.

Where to stay

Some of the best hotels in and around Painavu have been mentioned here. These hotels have been marked with brilliant hospitality and wonderful services that could not match any other resorts. Blue mount home stay Vagamon tourist home Hotel new Mereena Bell vedera resort Painavu is the most scenic place in the district and it has been known through many reviews of experienced people that they have enjoyed it at the highest and none other place in the district could provide such wonderful travelling experience. Being atop the hill you could get the opportunity to view the near and far scenic beauties. The weather is just awesome in the winter and rainy months and you must be there if you are planning for Kerala. Local people find this place an ideal weekend gateway to enjoy the silence of nature. Read the full article

[theeincrediblekid]

This one almost got me. Our guide and a local were trying to warn me how slippery the falls were. I thought, “Hey, I’m an Oregon boy, I climb waterfalls all the time, I got this.” I tested with a foot, yeah, super slippery. I climb up to a shower to bathe. I hear shouts and admonitions behind me, but I ignore them. I decide to keep climbing up, I slip almost immediately and keep slipping and slipping. I’ve lost all control. I never checked below me. I don’t know if I’m going to slide off onto a rock or into the water or just how badly hurt I’m about to be. I slide to a stop before the edge, covered in rock slime, but completely unhurt, aside from my bruised ego and the feeling that the locals are shaking their head at the dumbass reckless American who almost won a Darwin Award. Of course I go right back to trying to climb to the top. After several attempts our guide Mr. Nagaraj finally convinces me to stop, and I feel bad for the wise and dignified forest guide who really doesn’t want to lose one of his charges, so I stop. Thanks to the river goddess for deciding to spare me. This all went down at Thuvanam Waterfalls in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala if you want to pay a visit. #thuvanamfalls #thoovanamfalls #chinnarwildlifesanctuary #dumbasswhiteboy (at Thoovanam Falls munnar)

[samcoool]

🐒 Monkeys and Peacock 🦚 ° ° ° Some snaps in and around the enthralling wildlife Sanctuary of Chinnar 🐒 ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° #chinnarwildlifesanctuary #chinnar #munnardiaries #idukkidiaries #idukki_stories #wildlife #wildlifeplanet #greylangur #peacock #wildlifeaddicts #wildlifephoto #wildlifeofinstagram #marayoor #marayoorforest #natgeoyourshot #wildlifesanctuary #canoncamera #naturephotography #nature_good #funphotography (at Idukki district) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ5rcTGJWMA/?utm_medium=tumblr