Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary - 13 Things to Know Before Visiting

Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary amazes visitors with its rich fauna and an opportunity to come in close contact with some of the elusive creatures of the wild.

The sanctuary is a part of the larger Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary which consists of four ranges - Sulthan Bathery, Kurichyad, Munthanga, and Tholpetty. Separated from each other by plantations, only Muthanga and Tholpetty are open to visitors. These two places serve as eco-tourism centres, helping to create conservation awareness and the need for wildlife protection in the minds of the visitors.

Safari through the sanctuary

The sanctuary provides a safari option through the jungle for visitors. They are arranged at 7 AM to 10 AM and 3 PM to 5 PM. The tickets for the safari are issued on a first-come first-serve basis. There are no advance bookings. There are limited numbers of slots available per day (40 jeeps in the morning and 20 in the evening), so if you want to do the safari you must reach on or before the time indicated. And also, most of the time the rare animals will be seen only with the first three jeeps. They will move out as soon as they hear the sounds of the vehicles.

The safari jeep runs through a fixed trail in the forest. Elephants, Spotted Deer, Sambar (large deer native to the Indian Subcontinent), Mongoose, Gaurs (Indian Bison) and peacocks are common wildlife spotted on the trail. The area is inhabited by a small number of tigers and leopards but do not expect to see them, the sightings are extremely rare.

The jeeps are rough vehicles. Sitting in them is not the nicest experience to have. The sides of the jeeps are closed so the only opportunity to spot the animals is through the small openings on the front and the back. The path is a mud trail which gets soggy during the rains and dusty at other times. A bumpy ride should be expected and an average-sized man would have to bend a bit to avoid hitting the roof.

Trekking option to encounter wildlife in close proximity

In addition to the jeep safari, visitors have the option for a three-hour trek. There are more chances of seeing wildlife in the trek than in the safari and it is not rushed either. There are cottages inside the forest where you can stay and there is an option for an elephant ride as well. Both of these need to be booked through the forest department by phone. You can reach them on this number- +91 4936 271010.

Project Elephant and bio-diversity of the sanctuary

The sanctuary was established in the year of 1973. It was brought under the 'project elephant' in the year 1991-92. The 'project elephant's main objective was to prevent the killings of elephants by poachers for commercial reasons. The project is a huge success and as a result, you can see a large population of elephants roaming around the sanctuary in a carefree manner.

The sanctuary is considered to be the second largest in Kerala and has the richest bio-diversity in India. Annual rainfall of 3,000 to 4,000 mm and fertile soil create an ideal environment for the life forms to thrive.

Plants and animals at the sanctuary

In terms of fauna, here you will be able to see semi-evergreen, moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests. The common trees around the sanctuary are Maruthu (Terminalia Arjuna), Karimaruthu (Terminalia Crenulata), Rosewood, Venteak, Vengel and many more.

Rich in bio-diversity, the administration emphasizes scientific conservation with due consideration for the lifestyle of the tribes who live around the forest region. The sanctuary has a large population of wild animals. Elephants roam freely here and tigers are sighted occasionally. Various species of deer, monkeys, and birds also live here. The reserve is home to a small population of tigers, a profusion of birds, butterflies and insects. A drive along the road to Muthanga further offers chances to watch these roaming animals.

Among the commonly spotted birds at the sanctuary, some which deserve a special mention are the Malabar Grey Hornbill, peacocks, owls, woodpeckers, cuckoos, jungle fowl, babblers, herons, egrets, water ducks, bulbuls, peafowl, shrikes, eagles, cormorants, wagtails, rollers, pheasants, snipes.

Although the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary is open throughout the year, it's not recommended to go there during the rainy season if you want to see wild animals. The summer season offers an ideal occasion to spot wildlife when many animals including tigers and elephants from neighbouring sanctuaries move into the Wayanad Sanctuary in search of food and water.

1. Never get out of the safari vehicles.
2. Come early in the morning aiming for the first two safari rides. There are more chances of spotting wild animals at the beginning of the safari.
3. There are only 40 safari rides in the morning and 20 in the evening.
4. Don't be disappointed if you did not spot any Tigers or Leopards, they are very elusive.
5. The national highway connecting Wayanad to Mysore runs through the sanctuary. There is potential to see a lot of wild animals while taking a drive through the route.

1. The second largest wildlife sanctuary in Kerala.
2. In 2012, a tiger was shot dead by the Kerala Forest Department on a coffee plantation on the fringes of the Sanctuary. The tiger had been carrying away domestic animals.
3. Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary harbours different species of vultures like the white-rumped vulture and the red-headed vulture.

It will take about two hours to complete the wildlife safari. If you plan to do some trekking, it could easily take a day.

Wayanad is reachable only by road. From Karnataka, there are buses from Mysore to Suthan Bathery which pass through the sanctuary. And vice versa, from Sulthan Bathery you will get buses to here if you are coming from other districts of Kerala. The nearest railway station is in Kozhikode from where there are direct buses to Sulthan Bathery.

There are no additional entrance fees apart from the fee for the safari which is 300 INR per person.

Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary is open from 7 to 10 AM and 3 to 5 PM daily. The sanctuary will be closed for the rest of the hours and no safari is possible outside of these hours.