Wild life
Kerala Wildlife
THE FORESTED highlands of Kerala are its great sheltering barrier.
Forests cover 27 per cent of the total landmass of Kerala and are
a botanist's delight.
Medicinal herbs, abundant in these forests, are used in Ayurveda.
It is also home for a wide variety of birds and animals. For the
nature lover, Kerala's wild life sanctuaries offer some of the finest
natural treasures ever.
To most people, particularly Keralites, the elephants are inseparable
from their lives. For the Keralite the elephant is a part of their
history, tradition, myth and culture and in many outlying areas,
very much a constituent of life itself. Today the Asian elephant
is considered as an endangered species.
Rivers
Kerala is a land of rivers and backwaters. Forty-four rivers, 41
west flowing and three-east flowing, cut across Kerala with its
infinite tributaries and branches, but these rivers are comparatively
small and being entirely monsoon fed, virtually turn into rivulets
in summer.
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