Tribal Trails at Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
Man-animal conflict is increasingly common but most starkly so at the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding areas. Located in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the sanctuary is boxed in between the protected areas of Mudumalai, Tamil Nadu, and Nagarhole and Bandipur, Karnataka. The 345 sq km sanctuary comprises thick deciduous forests and is divided into two by plantations of eucalyptus and bamboo. The fauna that inhabits these forests includes elephants, gaur, deer, jungle cats, Indian civets, wild dogs, monitor lizards and the rarely sighted tigers and leopards.
There are a total of 45 species of mammals, 203 species of birds and 30 species of amphibians here, besides 143 species of butterfly and 51 of dragonfly. The sanctuary is also home to tribal groups like Paniyas, Kurumas, Adiyars, Kurichyas, Ooralis and Kattunaikkans. In fact, there are over 90 human settlements around the sanctuary. Tigers and elephants are known to trespass into these settlements from the forest. Because of these tense dynamics, the tuskers of the region are also known to be more volatile in their behaviour.
Enjoy amazing wilderness experience, watch rare and endangered wildlife and get valuable nature education by visiting the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Located between Sulthan Bathery and Mysore, it is worth visiting this wildlife sanctuary to spot several rare species of large animals. Wayanad is famous for eco-tourism and Muthanga and Tholpetty are part of the eco-tourism of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Simply visit this picnic spot for getting deep awareness about wildlife conservation.
A wildlife sanctuary with rich biodiversity
Surrounded by the protected area network of two famous wildlife reserves, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary attracts tourists with its rich wildlife and enchanting green forests. The northeast area of the sanctuary is under the Nagarhole and Bandipur of Karnataka and the southeast side is bounded by Mudumalai of Tamil Nadu. This sanctuary houses many endangered and unique flora and fauna and it a part of the Wayanad Plateau. You will love to spot herds of elephants and other wildlife during your visit to this sanctuary.
Enjoy Rich Wildlife
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is a popular picnic spot in Wayanad established in 1973. This wildlife sanctuary is second largest of this kind in Kerala and a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. You can watch so many large and rare wild animals such as elephant, tiger, deer and Indian bison. In addition, visitors can enjoy several unique bird species in this sanctuary. Never forget to add this picnic spot in your itinerary especially if you travel with children as they love to enjoy watching many unique animal and bird species in this sanctuary.
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary also houses varieties of snakes like green whip snake, coral snake, pit vipers and golden tree snake and reptiles like Monitor lizard. You will find it interesting to watch some other fauna like termite hill gecko, flying lizard, crocodiles, skinks and turtles. This sanctuary has around 216 bird species including owl, black woodpecker, Malabar whistling thrush, crested serpent eagle, babbler, painted bush quail, cuckoo and jungle fowl. You can also find around 30 species of amphibians in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
How to reach
The nearest airport is at Kozhikode (125km to Sulthan Bathery). You can reach this wildlife sanctuary by landing at the nearest Kozhikode / Calicut International Airport which is approximately 125 kilometers away from Sulthan Bathery. The nearest railway station is Kozhikode which is well linked to all the major cities in the country. Travelers can easily visit this sanctuary by road as it is not difficult to find bus service from different towns and cities of the state to Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Plan a trip to this destination from August to May to enjoy the wilderness of Wayanad.
Accommodation at forest guesthouses is available inside the sanctuary (Rs.1,500; wayanadsanctuary.org) The sanctuary is closed from February 11 to April 10.