Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. This sanctuary is named after the Peppara Dam, which lies within the sanctuary.

Snap of the Wildlife Sanctuary from Dam

In 1983, Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary came into existence. It is spread over an area of 75 square kilometers. It consists of myristica swamps and tropical moist evergreen forests. Karamana River and its tributaries are the main source of water inside the sanctuary.

Tiger, leopard, elephant, sambar (deer), sloth bear, bonnet macaque, Nilgiri tahr, Nilgiri langur, etc, are some of the wild animals found in this wildlife sanctuary.  233 species of birds are found here. 27 species of fish are also found here. Some of the Endemic species found in this wildlife sanctuary are the Small Sunbird, Malabar Grey Hornbill, and White-bellied Treepie.

Trekking inside the sanctuary offers a panoramic view of the valley.  Trekking starts from Kaanithara, near Vithura. Vazhvanthol Falls can be reached by hiking for around 5 kilometers. Kerala government forest department conducts trekking packages to the falls and other areas. The trekking package is for a day and includes the services of a  guide. The Wildlife Warden of Thiruvananthapuram Wildlife Division can be contacted at +91-471-236-0762 for any details. Assistant Wildlife Warden (at Neyyar) can also be contacted over the  Mobile number +91-854-760-2970.

The dam is a masonry gravity dam, across the Karamana River. It is meant to supply drinking water to Thiruvananthapuram city and its suburbs. The dam’s reservoir is spread over 5.82 square kilometers.

How Do I Go to Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary and Peppara Dam?

Thiruvananthapuram  Central Railway Station is the nearest railway station around 44 kilometers from the wildlife sanctuary. There are regular buses from KSRTC Central Bus Station alias Thampanoor bus station, (opposite Thiruvananthapuram  Central Railway station) to Vithura. This wildlife sanctuary is on the Thiruvananthapuram – Ponmudi Road.