Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS)

About Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS)

• Location: It is located in Wayanad, Kerala, in the southern trenches of the Western Ghats.
• It is an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Established in 1973, the sanctuary covers an area of approximately 344.44 sq. km,
• It is bordered by the protected areas of Nagarhole and Bandipur in Karnataka on the northeastern side and Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu on the southeastern side.
• Tribes living in these forests include some scheduled adivasis, such as Paniyas, Kattunaikkans, Kurumas, Ooralis, Adiyans, and Kurichiyas.
• Flora:
  • It is a mosaic of the Western Ghats' significant vegetation types, ranging from moist deciduous to dry deciduous and semi-evergreen patches.
  • Teak, rosewood, eucalyptus, and silver oakplantations cover roughly one-third of the sanctuary.
  • Marshy lands also mark their presence in the sanctuary.
• Fauna:
  • It is also home to animals like elephants, panthers, tigers, jungle cats, civet cats, monkeys, wild dogs, bisons, deer and bears.
  • It is known for having the largest population of tigers in Kerala.

Q1: What is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

World Heritage Sites are cultural and/or natural sites considered to be of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’, which have been inscribed on the World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Source: Close to 100 hectares of forest in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary gutted in fire