Chimmini Wildlife Sanctuary-An Extension of Wildlife

Entrenched at a considerable distance of about 30km from Thrissur exists the very magnificent Chimmini Wildlife Sanctuary.
It was founded in the year 1984 with Echippara as its headquarters. Surrounded by the mighty hills, the sanctuary encloses the watershed regions of Kunumali and Mupliyam rivers. It is a haven for countless species of plants and animals, thereby supporting a wide diversity of wildlife. The Chimmini Wildlife sanctuary is also a picnic spot for the locals due to its beautiful surroundings. People spend hours amid the serene and peaceful environment of the sanctuary.

Importance

Sprawling over an arena of about 85kms, the natural reserve encloses two another wildlife sanctuaries- Peechi- Vazhani and Parambikulam on the western slopes of the Nelliyampathy hills. Besides this, the park also witnesses the presence of reservoir which covers an area of about 10sqkm. For the sheer delight of the tourists, the Forest Department has planned a half day trek which bounds the outer loop of the sanctuary. 

The tourists can also encounter the extensive forests but that would require a one day trip. The blue mormon, India’s largest butterfly is found in the Chimmini Wildlife Sanctuary, which draws the attention of numerous people. The sanctuary circumscribes uncountable species, it seems like nature is revealing what it has. All she needs is your glimpse.

Flora and Fauna

Chimmini sanctuary houses a varied mixture of countless species of flora and fauna. Different varieties of evergreen and deciduous forests inhabit the sanctuary. Pali, Pathiri, Anjili, Elavu, Pongu, White teak, kanakkaitha, pilla marunnu, thakara, nedunar, manimaruthu, padachi and irul are some of the species of evergreen tress found in the enormous natural reserve. Not only this, the sanctuary also houses some rare and endangered species of orchids and tree turmeric. 

About fifty percent of the reserve comes under deciduous league and the evergreen forests fall under the twenty five percent.The Chimmini sanctuary is a dwelling place for a diverse number of mammals such as Leopard, Bear, Tiger and ultimately the Wild Bison. Around 110 classifications of fauna have been spotted. 39 genus of mammals, 160 variety of birds, 25 types of reptiles, 14 kinds of amphibians and 31 species of fish are unfolded in the sanctuary.

Besides this, the sanctuary is a habitat for around 100 species of butterflies, thereby providing immense space for photography. As already mentioned, India’s largest butterfly is found here. In addition to that, Atlas Moth, world’s largest moth also exists here.

Things to do

Due to its spectacular collection and collaboration of wild flora and fauna, the place proves to be a heaven for the wildlife photographers. Anybody would love to capture the wildness of the sanctuary.

The Chimmini sanctuary is also very well renowned for its treks and walks for children. This seems to be an enthusiastic booster for the excited ones. 

A number of retreats are also available for those people who want to spend a night amid the wildness of the bizarre sanctuary; henceforth making your trip more interesting and adventurous.

Thus we can see that the Chimmini sanctuary is one of the most tremendous places of south India. One must definitely visit the place once in their lifetime. A must visit place for the nature lovers. The sanctuary draws you a step closer to the superlative wildlife.