On the northwestern side of the Nilgiri Hills in the Nilgiri district of Tamilnadu, India, lies the Mudumalai National Park. It was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2007 by the Government of Tamilnadu after giving 1 million Indian Rupees as compensation to 350 families who lived there in the core area of the tiger reserve.

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is home to many wild animals. Several vulnerable species and endangered species are found in Indian wildlife sanctuaries. Those endangered birds of India found at Mudumalai Wild Life Sanctuary include critically endangered species, the Indian White-rumped Vulture, and the Indian long-billed vulture.

Forest Elephant at Mudumalai National Park

Mudumalai National Park is surrounded by many other Indian wildlife sanctuaries in nearby states. There are around 48 tigers in the reserve, as per the last data available. 50 species of fish and 55 species of mammals. 39 percent of the Indian mammal population is found in the area.

Mudumalai National Park is rich in flora and fauna, and these areas have tropical climatic conditions.

Where is Mudumalai National Park situated?

Mudumalai National Park or Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is on the Otty – Mysore road, on National Highway NH 67, in border areas of Karnataka.

There are two routes to select while going to Mysore from Ooty.  One goes through Gudallur town, which is around 45 kilometers longer than the Masinagudi route. This route starts around 7 kilometers from Ooty and is safer than the other route. This route is through Pykara Lake (near Ooty) and Gudallur town, and this road joins the other route at Theppakkadu on NH 67

The second route starts at around seven kilometers from Ooty. It goes through very steep Ghat sections with 36 hairpin bends. This road passes through Masinagudi and joins the first route at Theppakkadu. Then it becomes NH 67. Only expert drivers should take this route.

Once you cross the bridge on the border of Tamilnadu, the same forests are part of Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary, also called Bandipur National Park. Around 8 kilometers from the border is the safari point where you can go for an Elephant Safari in Bandipur National Park.

Where can I stay on a Visit to Mudumalai National Park?

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and nearby Bandipur Wild Life Sanctuaries are famous weekend getaways for the nearby residents of Karnataka, Tamilnadu, and Kerala states. This has resulted in many leading hotels and resorts establishing their properties at these wildlife sanctuaries. Nijaguna Residency is a 3-star hotel at Chamarajanagar near Bandipur. There are many cheap motels and cheap hotels offering rooms for budget-conscious tourists. Many hotels and resorts offer discounted hotel rooms in the off-peak season.