Tholepetty Wildlife Sanctuary is a part of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary which is spread across a 344 sq. km area in the Wayanad district, Kerala. This part of the sanctuary is situated in the Northern Division of Wayanad. The other three parts of the sanctuary lie in the southern region, Suthanbathery and Kurichiyat being connected to the Bandipur Tiger Reserve and Muthanga Range in Tamil Nadu. Historically, it is believed that Raja Pazhassi of Malabar used to fight his battles with the Britishers in this Tholpetty.
The Tholepetty range is directly connected to Nagarhole National Park which is technically located in Karnataka, making it dense with forest cover and home to several creatures. Hills covered with thick woods and beautiful valleys make this place absolutely picturesque. Being a predominantly animal sanctuary, Tholepetty Wildlife Sanctuary is also well-known for its abundance of flora and birds. It is also part of UNESCO’s Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Established in 1973, these Western Ghat channels are ranked at a marvellous 8th in the list of the World’s Biodiversity Hotspots. It is also known for being the 7th Project Elephant Reserve in India. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, which Tholpetty is a part of, is one of the most important reserves for elephants in the country along with being one for tigers as well. It is well protected and the tourists can only access the outer region of the place to create a completely safe and ecological place for the creatures. The region is replete with flora which ranges from teak to various kinds of evergreen and semi-evergreen. The natural resources give life to different animals, birds, reptiles and insects here. Some of the wild animals include leopards, elephants, monkeys, tigers, giant squirrels, deers, mouse deers, panthers, bison, spotted deer, guars, langurs and varieties of snakes.
This place is also known for being a sanctuary for endangered vultures like the red-headed vulture and white-rumped vulture. But unfortunately, the number of vultures in the region keeps decreasing due to reasons only speculative.
The climate here is quite humid with copious rainfall and temperatures ranging from 15 degrees Celsius to 32 degrees celsius. The forest here contains a number of varieties of trees and coverage like dry deciduous, bamboo, evergreen, rosewood, silver oak, teakwood, eucalyptus, and more. The flora here is varied with different species like maruthi, chadachi, bamboo, vengal and more. Birdwatching is also an activity well-fulfilled here since the bird species here range from peacocks, owls, cuckoos, to woodpeckers and blabbers. Some tribals like Adiyar, Kattunaicka, Paniya, Urali and Kuruma also reside in the region, the highest number of indigenous people in the state. Forest is their main resource to live as they dominantly rely on plants, fruits, medicinal items, roots, and more.
Many research centres and organisations conduct ecological, environmental, educational, and historical research here with the help of the government and the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department. One of the main attractions here is a lake in the sanctuary where the animals and birds come to drink water. To reach the Tholepetty Wildlife Sanctuary you can take a flight to the Calicut International Airport which is about 90 kilometres from Wayanad, take a train to Kozikode because Wayanad is not connected by a railway system or you can directly use roads to Kalpetta and then to Wayanad which is around 50 kilometres away.
The Forest Department also arranges daily jeep safaris in Tholpetty for tourists that start from 725 rupees for 7 persons. The visiting time for the sanctuary is from 7 to 10 in the morning and from 2 to 5 in the afternoon. The experience of nature in Tholepetty is raw and earthy, away from the noise and pollution of the cities. You will truly feel the need to conserve and protect this natural habitat once you experience its beauty in person. When you visit the Tholepetty Wildlife Sanctuary, you can also explore some of the neighbouring sites like the Nagarhole National Park, Pakshipathalam Bird Sanctuary, Papanisini River, Thirunelly Temple and Kuruvadweep, which is a small island in the Kabini river. These are places full of natural resources and wonderful scenery. The calming nature and wilderness will not only release your stress from daily life but also give you inspiration and present you with a new sense of appreciation for mother nature and its children.
