Wildlife in Wayanad

For wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers, Wayanad's wildlife sanctuaries are some of the must see destinations and best tourist places in Wayanad. Established in the year 1973, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 344 sq km and is divided into two parts. One is Tholpetty near Mananthavady, which is contiguous with the Nagarhole Wildlife Sanctuary of Karnataka. The other is Muthanga, which is closer to Sulthan Bathery, and borders the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu and the Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary of Karnataka. Rich in biodiversity, these sanctuaries are home to tigers, leopards, elephants, panthers, civets, deer, bison, bears, and monitor lizards as well as a wide variety of birds.

The sanctuaries form an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which has been established with the specific objective of conserving the biological heritage of the region. The Western Ghats covering an area of 6,000 square kilometers including the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve forms as a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site. The vegetation chiefly consists of moist deciduous forest. A huge portion of the forest is covered with teak, rosewood, eucalyptus, kindal and grevillea trees. The highest peak within the sanctuary is Karottimala (1158m). The climate is fairly tropical with heavy rains from June to August. The best time to visit the sanctuary is between June and October.