Established in 1973, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is contiguous to the protected area network of Nagarhole and Bandipore of Karnataka and Mudumalai of Tamilnadu. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, 15 kms from Calicut is bisected by a tract of cultivated land into two distinct parts. One falls in the Kozhikode District and the other in the Kannur District. Wayanad literally means the 'land of swamps'.Rich in bio-diversity, the sanctuary is an integral part of the nilgiri biosphere reserve, which has been established with the chief objective of conserving the biological heritage of the region.
Flora: The flora of this wildlife sanctuary comprises moist deciduous forests, though the climate also supports evergreen forests on the higher ridges. Teak is the predominant floral specie in this sanctuary along with marshes that are full of grasses and support the best quality of bamboos.
Fauna: Major fauna species here include the tiger, leopard, sloth bear, wild dog, jackal, elephant, and Indian fox. Other wildlife that have made this park their habitat are the gaur, sambar, spotted dear, Indian muntjac, wild boar, and giant squirrel.
