Eco-tourism and Butterfly parks are situated in and around Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary. Eco-tourism and Butterfly Park are part of the Thenmala Eco-tourism Project, the first Eco-tourism project in India. Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary is part of Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve.
Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as a wildlife sanctuary on 25 August 1984. This sanctuary is spread over an area of s 172.403 square kilometers (i.e., 66.565 square miles). The park’s name, Shendurney is derived from Chengurinji (Gluta travancorica), a tree endemic to the region.
Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary is rich in flora and fauna. Flora includes Tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. Flowering plants numbering around 1257 species, belonging to more than 150 families, are found here. 267 bird species are also found here.
25 types of butterflies are found in Asia’s first butterfly safari park here. They are not put into butterfly greenhouses or butterfly houses. These butterflies live in natural habitats on the butterfly garden plants in this butterfly safari park.
A highly elusive nocturnal bird, the Great Eared Nightjar, was spotted at Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary. Lion-tailed macaque, a highly endangered animal species, is also found here. Wildlife conservation efforts are yielding good results here.
There is an artificial lake with an area of 18.69 square kilometers in size.
There is also a Mesolithic site. A cave dating back to the Mesolithic age has been found inside the wildlife sanctuary.
How Do I Go to Eco-tourism and Butterfly Park Site?
Shendurney Wildlife Park’s entry gate is at Thenmala, a small town on the Kollam-Punalur-Shenkottai- Tirumangalam National Highway (NH 744) side. Thenmala is situated around 75 kilometers away from Thiruvananthapuram. Kollam town is around 66 kilometers from Thenmala.
Punalur, the nearest major town is around 20 kilometres from Thenmala. Shenkottai, another major nearby city, is around 30 kilometers from Thenmala.
There are frequent bus services to Thenmala from the Punalur Government bus stand. (Punalur- Shenkottai buses)
Thenmala railway station on the Punalur- Shengottai route (now converted into a broad gauge line from a meter gauge) is the nearest railway station to Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary.
Anchal town is around 29 kilometres distance from Thenmala. Kadakkal Temple, a unique temple with no idol or a pujari (priest) is situated at Anchal.
Details on Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary Entry Permits and Night Stay
You need to get a permit from the Forest Department office at Thenmala or from The Chief Wildlife Warden’s office at Thiruvananthapuram. Night stay facilities are available inside the sanctuary, subject to availability. A dormitory is also available.
Camping facilities are also available, which is arranged by the Thenmala Eco-tourism Promotion Society.