Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary is a popular sanctuary that is located in the Tamil Nadu district and it is at an elevation of 1000m. The sanctuary is spread over an area of 321 sq. km. It lies between Karnataka and Kerala and is known to have the largest elephant population of more than 600. It is known to have got the credit of bring the renowned wild life sanctuaries of the southern part of India. Mudumalai literally means ‘Old Hills’. The visual beauty of the sanctuary is excellent and due to this, it attracts numerous tourists throughout the year. The blend of flora and fauna gives you a visual treat and this place is purely meant for the best holidaying purpose.

History

The forests that were a part of the Mudumalai area were known to be taken care by Trimalapad religious sect of Nilambar temple. They leased it to the merchants for the sake of forest’s rich timber. During 1862, it was known that a 99 year lease was rewarded to the State Government of Tamil Nadu for a yearly charge worth Rs. 3500. Later Mudumalai became a part of the Government on the sole ownership basis in 1914. During 1927, it turned out to be a reserve forest. Later on a 23 sq. km. patch was known to be recognized as Wildlife sanctuary during 1940. During the time of World War II, it was known that the interiors of this forest were used as camp for the sake of training the soldiers for sending them to Burma. After 1977, an area of about 321 sq. km also including Mudumalai and a few other parts of Sigur hills fell within the purview of this sanctuary.

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve now encompasses Nagarahole, Bandipur, and Wynaad in bordering states of Kerala and Karnataka respectively apart from the Mudumalai Sanctuary. Mudumalai later turned out to be a region of conflict for the 3 states and they are Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and each of the regions started claiming for the area considering their geographical boundaries. After 2008, it turned out to be a tiger reserve.

Timings

The best time to visit the place is during the time of sunset and the length of the visit could be up to 2 hours. During the times of summer, the sanctuary remains closed.

Fauna in Mudumalai

This sanctuary is mainly filled with elephants and hence, you can surely find them along the river side. The leopards are known to be predominant when compared to the tigers. You can also find jackals and wild dogs here that always search for their prey. Sloth bear, small mouse, gaur, wild pig, sambar and Chita are the other animals that you can find here. You can also find calves in huge numbers during the times of summer. Apart from these animals, you could also get to watch porcupine, civet, mongoose and jungle cats.

If you watch carefully, you could also be lucky enough to have a glimpse of lizards and snakes. Bonnet macaques can also be found here close to the river side and giant squirrels can be found on the tall trees. Along the Moyar River, you can find marsh crocodiles and otters. Frog sounds are a common thing here during the summer times.

It is known that more than 300 species of birds can be found here. The Woodland species are common here and many other beautiful birds such as White-bellied Woodpecker and Malabar Grey Hornbill can also be found. Woodpecker is a common bird found and apart from this, you can check out for the morning songbirds such as white-bellied Drongo, Racket-tailed Drongo and Grey Drongo. Barbets, grackles, cuckoos, parakeets, Malabar Trogon, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Crested Serpent, Scops Owl, vultures etc. are the other birds that can be found here.

Flora in Mudumalai

The different kinds of vegetation that can be found here includes moist, dry deciduous, dry thorn, Grasslands and semi-evergreen forests. Shorea roxburgi and Terminalia crenulata predominate towards the Northern part. Whereas, the strong Tectona grandis is found towards the southern part. Indian coral tree and Indian silk cotton tree looks excellent in this forest. Terminalia bellerica flowers smell extremely amazing here.

Towards the waterways, you can find a lot of plantations such as Terminalia arjuna, Mangifera indica, Syzygium cumuni, Bambusa arundinacea and Dalbergia latifolia. You can also find the beautiful Schleichera oleosa that are beautifully featured with bright red leaves, Pongamia galabra and Ficus.

How to Reach

Air

Coimbatore is known to be the nearest airport to Mudumalai and from the airport, the tourists can hire cabs or coaches from the taxi stand that is situated outside the airport.

Rail

Mettupalayam is known to be the closest broad gauge rail head that is located 46 km from the place.

Road

You have regular bus service from many places like Mysore, Bangalore, Calicut, Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Tirupati, Tanjavur, Cochin, Coonoor, Doddabeta, Ooty and Kotagiri.

Visitor Information

Visitors can visit this place from the month of February to May and also from September to October as it is the best time to visit. January to early April is the best time to visit for the wildlife enthusiasts. The official yours will usually be arranged during the times of early morning and afternoon. If you visit the place during winter times, it is ideal to carry some light woolen clothes. Private vehicles are not allowed here and the sanctuary organizes buses and jeeps if required. The entry fee is Rs.15 per adult.

Other Attractions

Apart from Mudumalai, you can visit to many other close places such as Nagarhole, Bandipur and Wayanad. Theppakadu is known to be a reception point, wherein accommodation, elephant rides and van rides are known to be arranged. Ombetta vayal is known to be a swampy area that is situated between Mudumalai gamehut and upper Kargudi and this is a wonderful place for you to look out for Bison and elephant.