Elephants are hard to avoid in Mudumalai National Park, even if tigers remain elusive.
In the midst of the Nilgiri Mountains, in the north-western corner of Tamil Nadu, lies Mudumalai National Park. It is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, together with the other well-known south Indian wildlife sanctuaries of Nagarhole and Bandipur in Karnataka and Wayanad in Kerala. In fact, when you cross the border between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, you will still be in the same forest, just the name changes from Bandipur to Mudumalai.
Mudumalai Wildlife
Evergreen, deciduous and scrub forests alternate with grassland and swamps. Inside the teak, rosewood and bamboo forests live the elusive tigers and panthers but also Asiatic wild dogs (dholes), langurs and bonnet macaques, antelopes, gaur, several types of deer and wild boar. Over 200 species of birds have been spotted in Mudumalai, including crested hawk eagles, crested serpent eagles, Malabar grey hornbills, owls, egrets and parakeets.
There are plenty of wild elephants in Mudumalai. Some elephants you’ll spot in the park are, however, tame working animals and come from the Theppakadu Elephant Camp. Crocodiles and otters live in the Moyar river that runs along the border between Mudumalai and Bandipur.
The Mysore-Ooty road winds through the park, and spotted deer wander around the road itself, seemingly oblivious to passing cars. Safaris are arranged inside the park in jeeps or on elephant back. Private resorts and lodges organize safaris as well as treks, but it is worth bearing in mind that several local people get trampled to death by wild elephants in this area every year, and it would be a very bad idea to go for a walk in the woods alone after sunset.
When To Go
The hot season from March to May brings the animals out of the jungle in search of water, but hot season does mean that it really gets warm here. The rainy season usually lasts from June to September, and after the rains the forests look beautifully green and lush. The winter months of November to February are a good time to visit Mudumalai.
Mudumalai is easy to get to from Mysore or Ooty. In both cities travel agents organize tours and packages to the park. The nearest towns to the park itself are Theppakadu and Masinagudi. There are many lodges and resorts near the park and some inside the park too. Many of the resorts are very comfortable and come with swimming pools and campfires, and sometimes all you need to do to see wildlife is to sit on your verandah and watch langurs hop by.
