Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary

The spectacular tropical landscape of the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary in South Kerala, India, leaves a lasting impression on the mind.  The Neyyar Dam creates a nine square kilometre lake behind its wall which spreads amidst the tall forest covered hills of the land.

Hills rise tall to heights where clouds come calling and settle on summits.  A striking range with three successive peaks, similar in height and shape, bearing resemblance to the thatched roofs of the Gaulish village cottages in Asterix and Obelix, distinguishes itself on one side of the lake.  The clean, cool, blue green lake waters sparkle joyfully in the sun.

Thick woody vines drape tall trees, winding and bending into aerial pathways and bring out the timelessness of such forest.  The vine itself must have existed for long enough to have turned woody and the tree well before it, all in silence of the jungle, rooted and unharmed through the ages.

The Neyyar sanctuary spreads over 128 square kilometres close to the southern tip of the Indian peninsula.   From these hills the Neyyar river runs south
west and close to coast it spreads gently into a maze of inland backwaters before it finally carves an exit at a sandy beach in Poovar to meet the sea.  The mesh of backwaters channels branch and meet, narrow out, widen or diverge and fill low lying fields.  Coconut, other palms and undergrowth fill the banks. 

The Agasti tree is also found in these parts, with its flowers shaped like a white claw and a profusion of thin long green pods, the tree takes its name after the great sage Agastya who is believed to have travelled to and lived in the mountain ranges along these parts and is considered by many as the father of traditional Indian medicine.

Amongst the big water birds one sees in the backwater is the gray heron, a duller white headed variety of the painted stork and the great egret.   Storks make nesting colonies on palm fronds.  At places, stumps of trees rise from mid-river as a reminder that where now the river flows, not very long ago stood a tree on dry land.  Kingfishers of all kinds, pied, the common blue backed and rust chested and the white chested exhibit a fondness for them as they make excellent perches.

The call of the beautiful brahmini kite, bronze, red-brown and white, rents the air from time to time as it circles overhead or perches by the water on a palm.  At some favoured spots along the backwaters large flocks of egrets and pond herons converge.  Many fly in synchronized sorties reminiscent of a Walt Disney portrayal of a profusion of wildlife and wellness.

The beach where river meets sea is flanked by water on both sides.  It stands a sandy isthmus stretched with a little ridge of sand a few feet high that falls steeply to meet a pounding sea.  On the other side of the sandy ridge the beach slopes down a gentle gradient to the river.  The sea is rough in these parts and not for
swimming.  Its waves in high tide breach the ridge and send sea water flooding the rest of the beach.  The beautiful colours of the fawn sand and
the green sea in the light of a setting sun can be delightful.

_{Author: Ruchir Bansal 
Photos:  Vinay, Ami and Ruchir Bansal
Information Sources:  Wikipedia
Updated:  January 3, 2016}