At the center of the reserve is the vast artificial lake created by a dam built by the British in 1895. Declared a sanctuary in 1950, the Periyar Reserve become part of Project Tiger, a Central Government initiative to protect the animal.
    A combination of tropical, deciduous and evergreen forests and grasslands make this an ideal home for 62 species of mammals, 320 species of birds, and 45 species of reptiles. There are numerous varieties of flowers and butterflies as well. A boat ride on the lake is a delightful way of spotting elephants and avifauna, for which the park is well known. If you are fortunate, you might even spot the pride of the sanctuary, the tiger. Although tiger sightings are not very common, there are enough of these magnificent felines around. Trackers routinely spot pugmarks.