Wildlife Tourism Destinations in Wayanad
The Wildlife Sanctuary in Wayanad is a “don’t miss” destination for those interested in wildlife, forest, eco systems and in the pristine calm and adventure that Mother Nature offers, and also in various aspects of wildlife-human interactions/conflicts.
Protected forests cover 26% (553 sq.km) of total land area (2,131 sq.km/823 sq.m) in Wayanad, far higher than other districts of Kerala State. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, the second largest sanctuary in Kerala, has two divisions-South: Muthanga, and North: Tholpetty (Begur). The floral and faunal diversity in Wayanad is amazing, including many endemic and endangered species.
You can witness the aptness of selection of Western Ghats as one of the 25 Biodiversity Hotspots of the world, in Wayanad, a true last refuge of many wild flora and fauna, many of them endemic and endangered. You can see a unique ecological region of the Western Ghats and the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in Wayanad.
Elephants, gaur (Indian bison), tiger, leopards, panther, deer species-sambar, barking deer, spotted deer, nilgiri langur, hanuman langur, lion tailed macaque, sloth bear, jungle cats, civet cats, malabar giant squirrel, lizards, wild pigs and other wild fauna including many species of birds (>350 species), butterflies, reptiles and amphibians are common sights in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Floral diversity in Wayanad is equally amazing with its varied topography and climatic conditions. You can see breathtaking flowers and foliage in Wayanad.
Sometimes wild elephants stray into the towns and villages in Wayanad. In one incident in July 2009, an elephant was found calmly feeding on the bamboos in the vicinity of the Government Bus Station at Sulthan Bathery town in Wayanad.(Incidentally, the Government Buses in Kerala have a nick name in Malayalam-Kerala’s language: Aana Bus, means Elephant Bus, referring to the Government of Kerala emblem with two elephants on every bus!).
Though dominated by moist deciduous and rain forest flora, bamboo, swamps, teak forest and grasslands are many in Wayanad’s forests. A wide variety of endemic herbs, medicinal plants and economic plants are seen in Wayanad. There is a wide diversity of minor forest produce in Wayanad including high quality forest honey.
Wildlife-human conflict is not uncommon in Wayanad as they stray into farms and villages near the forest in search of food and water.
Best Season for holidaying in Wayanad: September to May
Monsoon Adventures (with natural risks) in Wayanad: June to August.
Best Season for Wildlife Tourism in Wayanad: June to October
Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary in Wayanad (South Wayanad division of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary)
The Wildlife Sanctuary with an expanse of 345 sq.km (both divisions together) is a true home of Asian Elephants in Wayanad, and is under the Project Elephant programmes of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Other wild fauna are also abundant in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary-Muthanga.
This is a unique rain forest reserve of vast expanse in Wayanad, contiguous with Bandipur Tiger Reserve and Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka) and Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu).
The sanctuary stretches into different directions, from four sides of Sulthan Bathery town in Wayanad on the National Highway No. 212 (Bangalore-Mysore-Bandipur Tiger Reserve-Sulthan Bathery-Kalpetta-Calicut), with focal point and main tourist facility at Muthanga on the Highway, between Sulthan Bathery and Bandipur Tiger Reserve area (Karnataka) in Wayanad’s eastern border. On the South East direction from Bathery, it stretches to Mudumalai Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu), on the Sulthan Bathery-Gudalur-Ooty (Queen of Hill Stations) Inter State Highway and the Calicut-Vythiri-Meppadi-Gudalur highways in Wayanad’s south east region. Another major part stretches to North and North West, on the Sulthan Bathery-Pulpally-Mananthavday Road towards the North division of the Sanctuary (Tholpetty Sanctuary).
Location, Contact, Tourist Facility, Best Season to Visit, Major Attractions
Location |
On NH 212 Towards Mysore |
18 KM East from Sulthan Bathery |
Contacts |
Muthanga |
Tourist Arrangements: Mob:+91 98470100001 |
Wildlife Warden |
Sulthan Bathery |
Tel:+91(0) 4936 220454 Mob: +91 9447979105 |
Divisional Forest Officer |
Kalpetta |
Tel:+91(0) 4936 203428 Mob: +91 9447979075 |
Tourist Facility |
Forest Guest House / Dormitory |
Elephant Safari in the forest |
Best Season to Visit |
June to October |
Major Attractions: Free roaming elephants, tiger, deer etc. |
More Information |
http://www.keralaforest.org/ |
Kerala Tourist Info |
Wildlife Sanctuary, Tholpetty (Begur)
This is the northern side in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (North division), bordering Coorg (Kodagu/Mercara/Madikeri), a major hill station and eco tourism centre of Karnataka, and the Nagarhole (Rajiv Gandhi) National Park and Kabani Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka). The floral and faunal diversity is similar to Muthanga.
The contiguous forests in Wayanad and Coorg and Mysore districts of Karnataka in this state border region offers an excellent home for a wide variety of endemic and endangered species of flora and fauna.
A drive through the Mananthavady-Mysore or Mananthavady-Coorg route is a dream drive for tourists in Wayanad with sure sighting of varied wildlife such as elephants, deer, leopard etc, and if you are lucky, tigers too.
The Unique Elephant Congregation:
The strange and unique Elephant Congregation in Wayanad takes place near Tholpetty on the shores of the Kabani River, between January and April, in which hundreds of elephants, from the contiguous region gather here.
The focal point and main tourist facility is at Tholpetty on the Mananthavady-Mysore Road. Famous pilgrim centres in Wayanad such as Thirunelly Temple and Papanasini, and tourist destinations in Wayanad Pakshipathalam, Brahmagiri hills, Kuruva Islands etc are enroute from Sulthan Bathery/Kalpetta/Mananthavady to Tholpetty.
