Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
About Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
The Waynad Wildlife Sanctuary in the southern Indian state of
Kerala is a must for tourists looking forward to experience a bit of
wilderness during their travel in Kerala. A part of the Waynad
Plateau, this wildlife park in Kerala is famous for its tigers and
leopards along with the other wildlife that one can find during
holidays in Waynad. The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary comprises two
districts of Kerala i.e. in the north; it is a part of the Cannanore
district while its southern part is located in the Calicut district.
The park extends from the latitude 11°15' in the North to the
longitude 76°30' in the East. There is a good road network that
connects the sanctuary with the other important places in Kerala.
Wayanad literally means the 'land of swamps'.Rich in
bio-diversity, the sanctuary is an integral part of the nilgiri
biosphere reserve, which has been established with the chief
objective of conserving the biological heritage of the region.The
region, which is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, was
notified in the year 1973 as a wildlife sanctuary. The management of
the park laid emphasis on creating scientific conservation methods
that are complementary to the traditional lifestyle of the tribals
residing in the region.
Climate :
The climate of the region is very much influenced by the southwest
monsoon that touches it in the months from June to September. There
is good rainfall during the Northeast monsoon too in the months of
October and November. July receives the highest rainfall while
February is the driest month here. April and May are the hottest
months here while coldest months are January and February.
Fauna :
It houses elephants, tigers, panthers, jungle cats, civet cats,
monkeys, wild dogs, bisons, deer, bears, Monitor lizards and a
variety of snakes are seen.
Avifuana :
It houses Peacocks, babblers, cuckoos, owls, woodpeckers, jungle
fowls are a few of the various types of birds seen here.
Flora :
Teak, maruthu, karimaruthi, rosewood, venteak, vengal, chadachi,
mazhukanjiram, bamboo etc. grow in the moist deciduous forest.
Veteria indica, lagerstroemia, lanceolta, terminalia paniculata etc.
are common in the semi evergreen patches.
Getting There
By Air :
The nearest airport is Calicut. From Calicut Airport, KTDC buses
and taxis are available to move to Wayanad. Private taxis and buses
are also an option to the tourists.
By Rail :
The district is well connected by a railway network.
By Road :
Wayanad's Headquarters, Kalpetta is linked by road to other towns
in Kerala and there are frequent buses to Calicut. SOme major city
distances from Wayanad are: Calicut- 98 km, Kasargod- 216 Km,
Trivandrum- 502 Km and Cochin- 286 Km.
