Kerala has 2 designated tiger reserves.
1. Periyar Tiger Reserve
- Periyar Tiger Reserve is located in the Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts of Kerala in India.
- The reserve is named after the Periyar River.
- In 1934, Maharaja of Travancore declared the area as a wildlife sanctuary.
- In 1950, it was founded as Nellikkampatty Reserve and consolidated as a wildlife sanctuary after the political integration of India.
- In 1978, the Government of India declared the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve.
- In 1991, Periyar Tiger Reserve was included in Project Elephant.
- In 2018, Periyar Tiger Reserve bagged the title of the Best managed Tiger Reserve among 50 Tiger Reserves in the country in terms of Management Effectiveness Assessment by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
- Area: The Periyar Tiger Reserve covers an total area of approximately 925 square kilometers (357 square miles).
- Core: 881 square kilometers
- Buffer Zone: 44 square kilometers
- Total Area: 925 square kilometers
- Hills: Periyar Tiger Reserve is situated in the Cardamom Hills and Pandalam Hills of the Southern Western Ghats.
- River: Pamba, Mullayar and Periyar river flow through the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The major portion of the Reserve forms the catchment of River Periyar and the rest is that of River Pamba.
- Periyar River
- Pamba,River
- Mullaya River
- Lake: Periyar Lake loacted in the tiger reserve. It is an artificial lake created by the construction of the Mullaperiyar Dam.
- Tribe: Major tribal communities found within the Periyar Tiger Reserve:
- Mannans
- Paliyans
- Malayarayans
- Mala Pandarams
- Uralis
- Ulladans
- Flora: Tropical Evergreen Forests, Semi-Evergreen Forests, Moist Deciduous Forests, Transitional Fringe Evergreen Forests, Grasslands, Eucalyptus Plantations etc.
- Fauna: Tiger, Elephant, Lion-tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Tahr, Indian Bison, Nilgiri Langur, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Monitor Lizards etc.
2. Parambikulam Tiger Reserve
- Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is located in Palakkad and Thrissur districts of Kerala, India.
- It is part of the larger Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
- In 1973, the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary was established under the Kerala Forest Act, 1961.
- In 2009, the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary was upgraded to the status of a Tiger Reserve.
- Area: The reserve spans an area of about 643 square kilometers (248 square miles).
- Core: 390.89 Km2
- Buffer: 252.77 Km2
- Total: 643.66 Km2
- River: Some of the prominent rivers in the reserve are:
- Parambikulam River
- Thunakadavu River
- Peruvaripallam River
- Lake: Major man-made reservoirs in the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve are:
- Parambikulam Reservoir
- Thunacadavu Reservoir (Thunakkadavu)
- Peruvaripallam Reservoir
- Tribe: Tribes residing in the reserve are:
- Kadar
- Malasar
- Muduvar
- Mala Malasar
- Flora: Evergreen Forests (Indian cinnamon,Ceylon ironwood, white dammar, and gurjan), Moist Deciduous Forests (teak, Indian laurel, crepe myrtle, and anjan), Shola Forests, Grasslands etc.
- Fauna: Tigers, Lion-tailed Macaques, Nilgiri Tahr, Elephants, Dhole, Sambar, Nilgiri Langurs, Sloth Bears, Nilgiri Marten , Gaur, Great Pied Hornbill, Western Ghats Flying Lizard, Malabar Pit Viper etc.