The Wayanad Wildlife sanctuary is located in the Wayanad plateau and is an extensionof the Bandipur national park. The sanctuary is situated in the south-western state of Kerala near the town of Sulthan Bathery. The sanctuary was established in the year 1973 due to the high range of bio diversity that was found here. It is an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere reserve and is dedicated to the conservation of the gene pool found in this region. The flora and fauna found in the forests of the Wayanad sanctuary is unique to it, therefore paying a visit to this diversified region offers you an opportunity to see unique creatures in their natural habitats. The sanctuary is a wide spread one that is continuous with the Mudumalai of Tamil Nadu in the south east and Bandipur of Karnataka on the north-east side.
Flora and fauna
Since the sanctuary is a wide spread one the diversity in flora and fauna is great. The flora that one can find here is mostly of the moist deciduous forests which are evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. There are also shrubs and herbs that make up the vegetation here. The small patches of grasslands that dot the forest with small openings are used especially the smaller herbivores as feeding grounds and the carnivores as hunting grounds. The fauna is a mix of mammals, reptiles, rodents, birds and amphibians. Some of the animals that one can find here would be the Asian elephant, lion tailed macaque, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, wild boars, sloth bears, jungle cats, panthers, tigers, civets, wild dogs etc. Among the birds that have made this sanctuary its home some are babblers, peacock, owls, cuckoo, wood peckers, jungle fowl and wood pigeons etc. Reptiles such as lizards, cobras, vipers and pythons can also be found here.
Activities
Safari- this is one of the most exciting things to indulge in while here. The forest department’s permission needs to be taken so that a safari into the sanctuary can be arranged for you. You can spot various animals when on the safari. Some of the animals that people commonly see on the safari are wild boars, deer, sambar and elephants. The harder ones to spot are the tigers and panthers as they are very elusive.
Bird watching- as the sanctuary is thick and wooded it makes an ideal spot for birds to nest. The park is home to various species of birds including a wide range of indigenous birds of Kerala. One should carry a pair of binoculars so that it makes it easier to spot the birds roosting on the densely canopied tree tops.
Accommodation and Restaurants
There is no place to stay inside the sanctuary but there are hotels about an hour’s drive away where you could spend the night. Some of the best known hotels are The Renaissance (78 kms away), Khaleej residency (77 kms away), Royal Kington (77 kms away) and Kovalikom residency (78.1 kms away). To eat some of the best restaurants that you can find at a short drive from the sanctuary are Cinnamon restaurant (13.7 kms away), Hotel Woodlands (13.7 kms away), Vigneswara vegetarian hotel (14.3 kms away), Jubliee restaurant (19.6 kms away) and The Wayanad Gate (14 kms away).
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit would be June to October as the weather is good. During these months one can enjoy jungle trekking, photography as well as enjoy the enigmatic view of the wilds in their exotic ambiance.
Getting In
The nearest airport is Karipur international airport which is about 154 kms away and the nearest railway station is of Kozhikode which is 110 kms away.
