Nestled along the high altitudes of Western Ghats, Shenbagathoppu Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Virdhunagar district and partially in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu. It was constituted a wildlife sanctuary in December 1989 and is also referred to as Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary. It is about 8 km away from Srivilliputhur.

Flora
Mixture of arid deciduous forests, semi-evergreen forests, tropical evergreen forests, moist-mixed deciduous forests and patches of grasslands and medicinal plants.

Fauna
Flagship Species: Grizzled Squirrel
Other species: leopard, tiger, barking deer, slender loris, flying squirrel, Nilgiri thar, sambar, elephants, lion-tailed macaque, etc.

Avian Fauna
Malayan Night Heron, Red faced Malkoha, Nilgiri Flycatcher, Serpent Eagle, Black Eagle, Great Pied Hornbill and many more.

Getting there
Nearest airport is at Madurai (100 km). Closest railway stations to Shenbagathoppu Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary are at Srivilliputhur (nearly 5 km away) and Virudhunagar (about 45 km away). Regular bus services to the sanctuary are available from Madurai, Virudhunagar town, Bangalore and Chennai.

Tourist Information
Visitors can stay at the PWD Rest House at Srivilliputhur and at Forest Rest Houses situated at Pudupatti, Mudungiar and Mudaliaroothu. Numerous private lodges in the vicinity of the sanctuary are also available for accommodation.

No roadways are available inside the Shenbagathoppu sanctuary. Hence, the tourists have to walk. Local guides can be hired from the sanctuary office for escorting the trekkers inside the sanctuary.

Koilar dam and Pilavakkal dam located within the forest are ideal place to spot wildlife. Meenvetti Parai Falls is a popular tourist spot located near the sanctuary.

Additional Information
Location: Shenbagathoppu Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary , Tamil Nadu.
Area: 480 sq km
Elevation: 100-2010m above sea level.
Favourable time to visit:Throughout the year.
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