Ooty Wildlife Sanctuaries / The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

A 64 Kms drive from Ooty leads you through a spectacular arrangement of tea plantations, gurgling streams and picturesque landscapes and further into the woodlands of the wildlife sanctuaries itself that stretches through unending lush green terrains filled with deep gorges, rugged cliffs and dense forest lands.

The region around Ooty offer tourists with exciting expeditions that encompasses numerous outdoor activities such as trekking, fishing, hand Gliding and mountain biking. One of the most popular outdoor tours is to enjoy a Jeep Safari, an Elephant Safari or enjoying a nature-walk through the numerous Ooty wildlife sanctuaries abundant with flora, fauna and dense forest areas.

Daily hectic lifestyle calls for that much needed break and hence a trip to these several Wildlife Sanctuaries spanning across the state of Tamil Nadu is a must-do activity to rejuvenate and recharge your energy. Safaris and nature walks can only add to the adventure of being surrounded by nature at its truest form and also brings out the hidden explorer in you. The trip encourages you with renewed energy along with the added benefit of experiencing one of the most memorable wildlife expeditions of a lifetime.

During your visit or Tour to the wildlife sanctuaries near Ooty, it is important to understand that animals, trees and plants are a vital part of our environment and hence must be respected and kept at bay. The Flora and fauna play a vital role in providing us and nature with abundant horticultural, agricultural and medicinal benefits along with a balanced bio-diversity.

A well balanced ecosystem helps to promote growth and more importantly the existence of life on earth and hence, it is even more imperative, relevant and essential for us, not to disturb, the natural habitat and not to venture into restricted areas of these wildlife sanctuaries near Ooty. Therefore, we must enjoy nature from marked and authorized areas only and also do our bit to help conserve and preserve the endangered wildlife species and forest lands that seem to be disappearing over the years.

All the wildlife sanctuaries situated near Ooty and adjoining areas within Tamil Nadu are not only wildlife rich but homes some of the best species of flora and fauna including endangered and protected animals.

Perched at an altitude of over 1,140 meters above sea level, these wildlife sanctuaries provide a perfect haven for a wide range of bio diversity to survive in their natural habitat and remain unadulterated and free from the dust and pollution of a metropolitan city, urbanized towns or Hill Stations.

The existence of these wildlife sanctuaries near Ooty helps in maintaining the eco-balance of nature with animals, birds and humans. Trees and rare medicinal plants remain protected within the vast forest lands filled with fresh unpolluted air apt for quiet camping activities, bird viewing and nature walks.

The Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is considered as one of the best bird sanctuaries in India which is situated close to Nagarhole National Park, which is an extension of this bird sanctuary and hence can be covered during your trip to the Mudumalai Wildlife Park.

The Flora and Fauna of these Wildlife Sanctuaries near Ooty attracts a large number of nature lovers to spend a really good time within the lap of nature and escape from the noise of a city life. These Wildlife Sanctuaries near Ooty are home to a range of avi-fauna in countless aspects that is responsible for attracting most of the tourists to their abode.

Sanctuary Avalanche

Sanctuary Avalanche is situated at a distance of about 67 kilometers from Ooty and spans across the highlands of the Nilgiri Hills in South India. This wildlife sanctuary was established with the prime purpose of protecting and preserving the wildlife habitat residing in Southern India. There are several species of fauna on the verge of extinction and being termed as endangered species in India and this wildlife sanctuary takes great pain and effort to nurture these animals and plants with great care and caution. Sanctuary Avalanche maintains an eco-friendly environment where these animals and birds can comfortably breed and enjoy a healthy and unadulterated life.

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary & National Park

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary & National Park is situated in the north western border of Tamil Nadu and at a distance of about 64 Kms from Ooty and 80 Kms from Coimbatore. It is strategically positioned at the tri-junction of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala and on the North Eastern Slopes of the Nilgiris that form as a part of the Western Ghats and further descends into the Mysore Plateau. Mudumalai was originally a game reserve which was announced as a 'Wildlife Sanctuary' by the former Madras Presidency encompassing a massive area of 62 sq. km. way back in the early 1940s which has now been substantially increased to include a large expanse of wildlife habitat.

The Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is a part of The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve along with The Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka conjoining to its north and the Wynad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala adjoining to its west thus contributing as an extension of this sanctuary and hence forms a single unit and continuous viable habitat for a varied range of flora and fauna residing in these sanctuaries.

The Mukurthi National Park

The Mukurthi National Park is located in the South Eastern border of the Nilgiri Plateau of Tamil Nadu and about 28 Kms from Ooty. This famous National Park near Ooty forms as a part of the Ooty to Mukurthi Lake Trekking route offering tourists with a spread of abundant scenic viewpoints. The park captures a massive area supporting a viable population of the Nilgiri Tahr. A fascinating aspect of the Mukurthi Sanctuary is its similarities to Himalayan Flora and Fauna in its variety. The landscape is extremely scenic and is being protected and preserved to maintain the primal attraction and grandeur of the entire stretch. The Silent Valley National Park can be seen towards the western part of the Nilgiri ranges of this sanctuary.

The Bandipur National Park

The Bandipur National Park is a famous tiger sanctuary in India which is situated at a distance of 80 Kms from Ooty. This Park shelters some of the most vibrant, rare and endangered species of tiger and other wildlife species. This National Park is a part of The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is one of the protected regions within the International Biosphere Reserve of the Western Ghats that also forms as a part of the Nilgiris Wildlife Preservation program initiated by the Government of South India.

The Wynad Sanctuary

The Wynad Sanctuary, also spelled as Wayanad, is the second largest wildlife sanctuary situated in Kerala and approximately 80 Kms from Ooty. This Park was established to primarily preserve a natural habitat for the Elephants. This Sanctuary comes under the 'Protect Elephant' program and is blessed a rich habitat of wildlife and flora including excellent environs and a massive expanse of lush green forest area which is home to some of the most rare and endangered species.

Nagarhole National Park

Nagarhole National Park or NNP in short, is an enchanting park capturing a massive area of 247 square miles within the state of Karnataka and is situated about 64 Kms from Ooty. It features an astonishing abundance of wildlife ranging from large mammals like wild elephants, gaur or Indian bison, tigers, leopards and Indian wild dogs to mention a few. The forest lands are covered with thick deciduous trees and grassy swamps where the soil is cloggy and incessantly moist thus supporting a flourish of green grass all year round. The intermediate change in the heights of the park terrain is refreshing while the river offers a unique wildlife and bird viewing experience.

Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary

Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary was announced as a wildlife sanctuary way back on 17th June, 1974. It is positioned to the north of the Bandipur National Park and hence homes a range of flora and fauna of similar species who share the habitat and benefits of both sanctuaries. The only exception is that the area around the Nugu National Park is still recovering from preceding deterioration but the Nugu reservoir covering the northwestern part of this sanctuary acts as a perfect substitute and respite to the numerous wildlife and birds who breed and feed here.

The Silent Valley National Park

The Silent Valley National Park is a unique shelter for natural rainforests encompassed within an expanse of 237. 52 sq. km. and situated to the south of Ooty about 28 Kms by road. This Valley is home to a myriad of varied habitat that constitutes of an amazing variety of life forms that are local to the Western Ghats. The Silent Valley exudes a quiet, serene and mysterious grandeur owing to its rainforest preserve that is believed to date back some 50 million years. This Valley draws a large pool of nature lovers to witness its exquisite abundance of life expressing itself within an unbelievable clutter of flora and fauna. A major attraction of this valley is its deep and penetrating silence, which also inspired the name of this valley. However, the silence is intermediately broken by the chirping of birds and noise of the natural habitat that can only be experienced in person.