Wildlife and Birds
The high mountains that stretch all the way down the Eastern side of Kerala catch the monsoon sweeping in from the Arabian Sea, and often receive 3000 mm of rain each year. This, together with temperatures of 10-30 degrees C, makes them one of the most bio diverse places on the planet. Kerala has 10 large Wildlife and Bird Sanctuaries, while on its borders with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are a further 7 Sanctuaries.
These contain more than 10000 elephants, tigers, monkeys and many other rare animals. In the Bird Sanctuaries many endemic species are present, but in fact birds can be seen everywhere along the roads, in the mountains, and by the lakes and streams. Fruit bats are a common sight, hanging in the trees until they all set off together at dusk.
