Wildlife Holiday in Mudumalai National Park, India

If you holiday in Tamil Nadu in south India and travel along the border of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, you will find the Mudumalai wildlife reserve. Separated from Karnataka by the Moyar River, the wildlife sanctuary is also bisected by the Mysore - Ooty highway.

This 321 sq. km. reserve is in Tamil Nadu and was the first sanctuary in South India. It is situated where the Nilgiri Hills, derived from the Western Ghats meets the Eastern Ghats. The landscape of Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary is mixed with grassland, hills, valleys, swamps and tropical moist deciduous forests, dry deciduous forests and scrub forests. The sanctuary is home to many species of trees and plants native to South India.

The tigers at Mudumalai are not easily seen due to the dense vegetation. But other species of wildlife seen in the sanctuary include Elephants, Gaur, Common Langur, Leopards, Chital, Panther, Sloth Bear, Python, Barking Deer, Four Horned Antelope, Otter, Crocodiles (Mugger), Giant Flying Squirrel, Sambar, Hyena, Wild Dog, Wild Boar, Mouse Deer, Spotted Deer, Jackal, Hare, Porcupine and Mongoose.

The birds listed in this sanctuary are Peacock, Jungle Fowl, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Large Racket-Tailed Drongo, Magpie-robin, Spotted Babbler, Small Green Barbet, Green Pigeons, Brown Dove, Malabar Grey Hornbill, etc. Among birds of prey, Eagles, Hawks, Buzzards, Harriers, Falcons and the King Vulture are predominant, besides some migratory water birds.

The nearest airport is at Coimbatore, 160-km away, making holidaying in Mudumalai accessible to the wildlife enthusiast who is willing to venture off the beaten track in search of an Incredible India wildlife holiday adventure.