Thekkady is the location of the Periyar National Park, which is an important tourist attraction in the Kerala state of India. Thekkady is located near to Kerala-Tamilnadu border. The sanctuary is famous for its dense evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous forests and savanna grass lands. It is home to herds of elephants, sambar, tigers, gaur, lion-tailed Macaques and Nilgiri Langurs. The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across 777 km² of which 360 km² is thick evergreen forest. The Wild Life Sanctuary was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978. The splendid artificial lake formed by the Mullaperiyar 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 drink in the lake. Sanctuary can be accessed through a trekking, boating or jeep safari.