At the foothills of the Nilgiris Biosphere, lies one of India’s well known elephant habitat “The Mudumalai National Park”.

Western Ghats with gentle swells of hilly terrain veiled in mixed and moist deciduous forests offers unique and exotic point of interest – Mudumalai Wildlife Reserve. Consecrated with diverse geography and pleasant climate, the reserve offers an assorted range of striking flora and fauna.

Conservation History

The Conservation history of the Mudumalai National Park dates back to more than 200years. It was under the control of the Nilambar Tirumalapad religious sect until the late 18th Century. In 1927 it was declared a reserve forest. In 1940 it was established as the first National Park in South India. Originally spread over 62 km2, the sanctuary was enlarged to 295 km2 in 1956. In 1958 the sanctuary was extended to 318.7 km2 and subsequently to its present size of 321 km2.

The National Park which is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere is contiguous with Bandipur National Park, Wayanad Sanctuary and Sigur and Singara reserve forests.

The Moyar river separates Mudumalai from Bandipur. It is one of the most importantnsources of water in the National Park .During the dry season when other streams within the National Park virtually dry up, the areas around the Moyar river offer a good chance for animal sighting.

Flora

There are three distinct types of vegetation in the National Park, tropical moist deciduous forest in the Benne area, where rainfall is comparatively higher than the other areas, Tropical dry deciduous forest occurs in the middle and Southern tropical dry thorn forests are found in the east.

Fauna

The dominant predators in the National Park are the tiger, leopard and the dholes or wild dogs which hunt in packs. Other mammals include striped hyena, jackal, the omnivorous sloth bear, Asian elephant, gaur, sambar, spotted deer, Indian muntjac, mouse deer and wild boar. Primates like bonnet macaque and langur and rodents like the giant squirrel and flying squirrel can be found in the tree line.

Tourism in Mudumalai National Park

Annually the park attracts a large number of tourists interested in wildlife. The forest department has well laid out trekking routes inside the forest. Both the forest department and private operators organise safaris along dirt roads known as game roads which pass along the grazing areas, salt licks and water holes offering good sighting of wildlife.

Attractions in the park include scenic spots like Chief Minister’s Watchtower, the view point at Kargudi and the Ombetta Lake. The Moyar River running through the dense forest is a good place to see animals when they come to drink water from the river while at the Elephant Feeding Camp one can interact with elephants and see how they are fed.

The museum near the Elephant feeding camp is dedicated to animals that lived in the Mudumalai Jungle a while ago. Enjoy the grand views of the gorgeous Kallatty falls, located at 30 km from Theppakadu. Also, take a trip to the panoramic Pykara Lake nestled between the hills and 40 km from Theppakadu. Enjoy boating in the clean and scenic lake that retains its virgin beauty.

The best time to visit is in the months between September to December. It is also good to visit between April and January. Though the park is open throughout the year, it could be closed during February -April on account of heavy forest fires.

If you are a wildlife enthusiast and are taking a tour of South India then do ensure that Mudumali features in your travel itinery.