Top 5 Sanctuaries for Elephant Watching in India
Put Western Ghats on your Itinerary for Exciting Wildlife Viewing
Jul 10, 2009
Elephants are an intrinsic part of Indian wildlife, and they are present in several regions in the country, including the remote forests of Orissa and the mountains of Assam. For the purpose of wildlife viewing, however, the best options would be the protected forests of the Western Ghats, in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. There are several popular wildlife sanctuaries in these states which are well-connected by road, close to major hubs and airports, and most important, where elephant visibility is high and viewing, if one is lucky, can be done at fairly close quarters without disturbing them or exposing oneself to danger.
Asian Elephants in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Thekkady, Kerala
The Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve is located at the edge of the Periyar reservoir and is great for wildlife viewing. Visitors are taken around by boat and are able to watch animals on the shores of hills all around, without disturbing the wildlife. In addition to elephants, the sanctuary also offers good viewing of other Indian wildlife like Indian Wild Dog or dhole, otters, wild boar and other animals. The sanctuary is also known for sightings of the Great Indian Hornbill.
The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is about 200 km from Cochin International Airport. Nearest railheads are Kottayam and Ernakulam.
Asian Elephants in Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, Topslip, Tamil Nadu
Forming part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and situated in the Anamalai ranges of the Western Ghats, the Indira Gandhi National Park, also popularly known as Topslip, is known for its patches of rainforest or shola jungle. This is the home of the highly endangered lion tailed macaque, as well as rare birds such as the Wyanaad Laughingthrush and the Ceylon Frogmouth. Elephant herds roam the jungles here freely, and most visitors are lucky in sightings.
Contiguous to Topslip is the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, also good for elephant viewing. Topslip is accessible from Coimbatore, around 75km by road.
Asian Elephants in Mudumalai and Bandipur National Parks, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka
Also accessible from Coimbatore are the twin sanctuaries of Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu and Bandipur in Karnataka, lying contiguous to one another on the boundary edges of the two states. The two sanctuaries together offer the visitor rich fare: in the context of both flora as well as fauna. Elephant herds are often seen by the roadside in both sanctuaries, but visitors need to be careful not to disturb the elephants.
Mudumalai is also part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Mudumalai and Bandipur have both been designated Tiger Reserves.
Asian Elephants in Nagarhole or Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Karnataka
Contiguous to Bandipur on its north west side and also part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Nagarhole National Park lies along the Kabini river, and is rich in a variety of wildlife including tiger and elephant. Visibility is very high in this sanctuary as the undergrowth has been cleared back in wide banks on either side of the road to prevent forest fires, and this often serves as a grazing or resting patch for wildlife.
Nagarhole is about 100 km from Mysore, and about 240 km from Bangalore International Airport.
Other sanctuaries where elephant sightings are frequent include Wyanad Wildlife Sanctuary, on the Karnataka Kerala border, close to Nagarhole, and Dubare Wildlife Sanctuary in Coorg. There are also a number of other sanctuaries, but the ones mentioned above have been mentioned for reasons of elephant visibility, ease of access and availability of facilities.
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