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A part of the Wynad Plateau, the Wynad Wildlife Sanctuary of Kerala is famous for its tigers and leopards along with the other wildlife that one can find here. The sanctuary is an extension of the Bandipur National Park in Kerala at its southern border. 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.
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LOCATION The Wynad 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. 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. |
Flora: The flora of this wildlife sanctuary comprises moist deciduous forests, though the climate also supports evergreen forests on the higher ridges. Teak is the predominant floral specie in this sanctuary along with marshes that are full of grasses and support the best quality of bamboos.
Fauna: Major fauna species here include the tiger, leopard, sloth bear, wild dog, jackal, elephant, and Indian fox. Other wildlife that have made this park their habitat are the gaur, sambar, spotted dear, Indian muntjac, wild boar, and giant squirrel.
PLACES NEARBY
Kalpetta is the district headquarters of Wynad and famous for its Jain temples. Ananthantha Jain temple is one of the landmarks of this town.
The Chembra Peak (2100 m) is situated around 14 km off Kalpetta and the highest point in this district. It is also a popular trekking destination.
The Edakkal Caves are situated around 12 km off Sulthan Bathery at a height of 1000 metres. The walls of the caves are full with New Stone Age pictorial writings and throw light on the history of this region.
The Glass Temple of Kottamunda is located around 22 km off Kalpetta and dedicated to Parsvanatha, the Jaina Tirthankara. The mirrors on the inner walls of the temple reflect the icons inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
REACHING THERE
By Air: Kozhikode or Calicut at a distance of 110 km from Kalpetta is the nearest airport. Kozhikode is connected with Mumbai, Delhi, Goa, Bangalore, Chennai and some other places in India by regular flights. There are international flights to some Middle East cities from Kozhikode.
By Train: The nearest railway station from Wynad is again Kozhikode connected to almost all the major destinations in India by regular trains.
By Road: The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation run frequent buses to the sanctuary from many places in both the states. The sanctuary is also connected to Mysore, Coorg, Bandipur, Nagarhole, and Ooty by regular buses.
STAYING THERE
Forest lodges and rest houses are available in the park region to stay. Another good option can be to stay in the hotels at Kalpetta or Sulthan Bathery, which are nearby and have better accommodation options.
LINKS TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD
All the postal and STD/ISD facilities are available within the sanctuary region. Internet facilities are widely available in Kozhikode.
TRAVEL TIPS
More tourist information can be had from the following office of the Tourist Information Centre, Collectorate, Kalpetta. The telephone number is 604441.
