Mudumalai National Park

History

The Mudumalai National Park is one of the prominent reserves in India, located in Nilgiri range in Tamil Nadu. It is located in a strategic location where Tamil Nadu shares its borders with Kerala and Karnataka. Each year, thousands of tourists from various corners of India visit the park. 

The administrative status of the region as a National Park came into existence in 1940, during the British era. Before that, the forest lands of the region were principally used as hunting grounds of the royals. Mudumalai became a tiger reserve after many decades, in the year 2007, when Government of Tamil Nadu gave it the status, following the ‘Wildlife Protection Act’, 1972, with a strong objective to save the tiger population of India. This led to eviction of about 350 local families, after paying them due compensation. 

People staying in the buffer zone of the Park are recruited as guides and trained trackers to help tourists and administration within the park. 

Useful Information

Total area – 321.55 sq km

Elevation range – 1266 meters 

Latitude – 11°35′N 

Longitude – 76°33′E 

Nearest river – Moyar River

Nearby hills – Nilgiri Hills

Flora of Mudumalai National Park

The tropical dry and moist forests are prevalent in the park, marking its primary vegetation in most of the patches. There are scrub forests, too. You could also witness some parts covered with tropical semi-evergreen flora species in your Mudumalai holiday packages. There are trees such as Casseria ovoides, Olea dioca and Litsea mysorensis. You could also see climber plants like sneeze wort, Gnetum ula, Entada scandens etc. 

There are dense bamboo thickets in specific parts of the forests in the park, especially along the swamps. Bambusa and Dendrocalamus strictus are two bamboo species found in the Mudumalai National Park. A green riparian forest strip could be observed on banks of perennial streams flowing in the park, when you avail Mudumalai tour packages. The different types of plant species here are Mangifera indica, Terminalia arjuna and Indian rosewood. 

When you minutely explore the various regions of the Park, you would come across wilder versions of typically cultivated plants such as ginger, cinnamon guava, mango, turmeric etc. You could also see solanum and pepper. 

During the summer months, the deciduous trees of the park shed green leaves, adopting a lovely floral garb just at the onset of monsoons. You would be completely enamored by the lush greenery of the park in rainy days. 

Fauna of Mudumalai National Park

The incredibly marvelous diversity of faunal species in Mudumalai National Park is super-impressive, and is bound to enthrall you on your Mudumalai wildlife packages. The number of fish species in the park is approximately 50. There are a total of 21 amphibian species. Number of reptile species in Mudumalai is 34. Mudumalai National Park boasts of a vast number of bird species in its core and buffer zone, and it is 227. There are 55 documented mammal species in the park. An amazing fact about Mudumalai is 13% of total mammal species found in India are present in Mudumalai forest reserves. 

You could spot here the regal Bengal tiger, along with Indian leopards, while availing top-notch Mudumalai adventure packages. You could also get glimpses of jungle cats and their close relatives - leopard cats. 

There are other varieties of carnivores in the park such as dholes, golden jackals and sloth bears. The Mudumalai National Park is an abode to many hundreds of Indian elephants, which you can watch in your Mudumalai safari tours. The park is also a home to exotic primates such as gray langur and bonnet macaque. The park forests have a rich, stable population of ungulates such as Sambar deer, chital, India muntjac and gaur. Wild boars are also not uncommon here. 

You could also spot here giant squirrels among the larger rodents. There are reptiles such as pythons, spectacled cobras and kraits. 

The wide range of avian species found in the Mudumalai National Park is quite impressive, too. You could spot the threatened bird species – flycatchers, in the park. There are birds like Malabar trogon and grey hornbill, which you could see while availing Mudumalai sightseeing packages. Many other varieties of birds could also be spotted in different parts of the park, such as golden oriole, black eagle, crested goshawk, numerous minivets, Bonelli’s eagle, chloropsis, fairy bluebird, forest wagtail, alpine swift, Loten’s sunbird etc. in you Mudumalai weekend tour packages.

Climate of Mudumalai National Park

The Mudumalai National Park, as said earlier, is located in the Nilgiri Hills, yet, its general climactic conditions are a bit different compared to other national parks in the same region. The winter months are generally from late November to end of February. The duration of the summer season is from March to June. The average lowest temperature the region experiences is about 14 degree Celsius. The average highest temperature the park region experiences is about 33 degree Celsius. Summers in the park are really hot and scorching. Winters are mild and comfortable. 

When southwestern monsoons occur, the western fringes of the park receive more rainfall than its eastern side. On the other hand, during the northwestern monsoons, the opposite happens, as the eastern fringes of the park receive more rainfall compared to the western parts of the region. 

The humidity level in the park increases significantly during the rainy season. In drier seasons, the moisture content in the atmosphere witnesses a sharp decline. 

Best Time to Visit Mudumalai National Park

Chalking out a nice plan to visit the national park becomes easier when you are aware of its climate and weather conditions throughout the year. There are many travelers who prefer the summer season to avail the Mudumalai family packages. It means they travel during the months of April, May and June, mainly. Although the weather conditions are hot during this time, yet there are more chances to get glimpses of big cats in these months. 

But, if you want to travel more comfortably, then you can choose the late-October to December period. Also, this is the time when you would be able to witness a large variety of exotic migratory birds in the Park. The level of humidity is low in the atmosphere. Also, there are no effects of heavy showers in the park. You don’t see any incessant rainfall in the forests. Hence, it becomes more convenient to properly enjoy the tour. It also becomes easier to manage the trip when you are traveling with a large group of friends. 

How to Reach Mudumalai National Park

When you are designing the Mudumalai National Park itinerary, you have to consider the various transportation options that you can explore flexibly to reach the destination. There is roadway, train and flight. The choice you will select depends on the location from where you would travel and your budget. 

By road – When you plan to reach the destination by road, there are lots of lucrative options that you can flexibly consider. The nearest city, rather town, to the Mudumalai National Park is Gudalur. You can take a private or public bus from Gudalur to the Park, which is only 16 km away from the town. There are bus and private car services from cities such as Bangalore, Ooty, Coimbatore, etc. You also have the option to reach the park by renting a jeep from Thepakadu. 

By train – If you are on a limited budget on your trip, then reaching the destination by train could be a very good choice. The nearest railways station the Mudumalai National park is Ooty. You can book train tickets to Ooty. After reaching Ooty, it would not be any problem to rent a private car or take a public or private bus to the park. The town of Ooty is approximately 64 km away from the location of the park. 

By air – If you are visiting the Mudumalai National Park from a far-off city in India, then the best option it to take flight to the Coimbatore Airport. The Coimbatore Airport is the nearest airport to the park. It is located roughly at a distance of 160 km from the park. There are plenty of private and public buses, and private cars, around the airport. So, it is never an issue to hire a vehicle from Coimbatore airport to the park. 

Connectivity & Distances

Railway station: Ooty

Bus Stand: Gudalur

Airport: Coimbatore

Nearest city/town: Gudalur

Places to Visit Near Mudumalai National Park

You can extensively plan your Mudumalai National Park itinerary, as the region has lots of intriguing places where you can visit. Some of the top tourist interest spots in the vicinity of the park are discussed in the following points.

Elephant camp at Thepakadu – it is very close to the Mudumalai National Park where you can comfortably visit on a weekend getaway tour package. You get an opportunity to interact with the elephants at the Camp, for example bathing and feeding them. 

Mudumalai museum – You can also visit a small museum in Mudumalai on a weekend trip to witness the chronicled history of the region in a detailed manner. 

Moyar River – On a weekend getaway tour, you can consider visiting the lovely banks of Moyar River, where you can see a wide range of avian species. If you visit the winter months, it is common to witness lots of migratory birds here.