Thekkady is the location of the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, which is an important tourist attraction in this area, located about 50 km from Bodi. The sanctuary is famous for its dense evergreen, moist deciduous forests and savannah grass lands. It is home to herds of elephants, sambar, tigers, gaur, lion-tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs. The Periyar Widlife sanctuary is spread across 777 km2, of which 360 km2 is thick evergreen forest. The Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978. The splendid artificial lake formed by the Mullaiperiyar Dam across the Periyar river adds to the charm of the park. The greatest attraction of Periyar are the herds of wild elephants that come down to play in the lake. Thekkady has immense possibilities for Adventure Tourism. The Forest Department offers many programs including Periyar Tiger trail, Nature walk, Bamboo rafting etc.