Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary

The Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary near Thiruvananthapuram in southern Kerala, India. It consists of the catchment area of the Karamana river, which originates from Chemmunjimottai, the tallest hill within the sanctuary. The sanctuary is named after the Peppara dam, commissioned in 1983 to augment the drinking water supply to Thiruvananthapuram city and suburban areas. Considering the ecological significance of the area, it was declared a sanctuary in 1983. The terrain is undulating with elevation ranging from 100 m to 1717 m. The area of the sanctuary is 75 km2 with tropical moist evergreen forests and myristica swamps. Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary is by car from the nearest railway station, at Thiruvananthapuram, and from the Thiruvananthapuram airport.HistoryThe area was formerly a part of the Paruthippally range of the Thiruvananthapuram territorial division. Forests consist of part of the Palode reserve and part of Kottoor reserve. The total water spread of the reservoir is.GeographyThe Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary is situated on Thiruvananthapuram-Ponmudi Road, about 50 km northeast of Thiruvananthapuram.The area is hilly, with elevation varying from to. The major peaks in the sanctuary are Chemmunjimottai (1717m), Athirumalai (1594m), Arumukhamkunnu (1457m), Koviltherimalai (1313m) and Nachiyadikunnu (957m). Annual average rainfall is. The major rivers are Karamana River and its tributaries.