MUTHANGA NATIONAL PARK AND MUTHANGA CASE

MUTHANGA NATIONAL PARK

AND MUTHANGA CASE

         Muthanga National Park located 16 kilometers east of Sulthaan Bathery. It was set aside as a sanctuary in 1973. The sanctuary borders on the parks of Nagarhole and Bandipur of Karnataka on the northeast and Mudumalai of Tamil Nadu on the southeast.Occupying an area of 345 sq km, Muthanga National Park boasts a fine selection of wildlife and is an excellent specimen of Project Elephant.There can be few experiences so gratifying as to take a tour to Muthanga National Park, where you can spot tigers very frequently. The sanctuary has one of the largest populations of elephants in India.The Muthanga National Park also provides sanctuaries to various species of deer, monkeys and birds. The flora of sanctuary includes deciduous and evergreen forests. One of the best ways to explore the sanctuary is an elephant ride, which can be arranged by the Forest Department.

Popularly known as the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary is a popular wildlife sanctuary located on the Kerala side of Western Ghats and offers a natural habitat to a large number of wild animals.The Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary is located over an area of 344.44 square kilometers and is home to wildlife such as Gaur, sloth bears, sambhar, elephants, reptiles, tigers, spotted deer, monkeys, panthers, jungle cats, civet cats, wild dogs, bison, lizards, bears, wild pigs, leopards,lion-tailed macaque and other animals. Muthanga in Kerala, South India is a special Project Elephant site and you are bound to see herds of elephants frolicking near the water holes as you course the wildlife trails within this lush wildlife sanctuary.

Sit on elephant back and follow the nature trails at the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary located in Kerala, South India and discover a beautiful green world. As you go on wildlife tours to the Muthanga Wildlife sanctuary you will notice tiny colorful butterflies flitting on sweet flowers and pretty shrubs.The perfect time to go on wildlife tours to the flourishing Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, South India is during the months of June to October. The Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary also provides home to various species of deer, monkeys and birds. The flora of sanctuary includes deciduous and evergreen forests. One of the best ways to explore the sanctuary is an elephant ride, which c Wayanad District, in the north-east of Kerala, India, was formed on November 1, 1980 as the 12th district by carving out areas from Kozhikode and Kannur districts. The region was known as Mayakshetra (Maya's land) in the earliest records. Mayakshetra evolved into Mayanad and finally to Wayanad. But the Folk etymology of the word says it is a combination of Vayal (paddy) and Naad (land), making it 'The Land of Paddy Fields'. There are many indigenous tribals in this area. It is set high on the majestic Western Ghats with altitudes ranging from 700 to 2100 m.
In ancient times the land was ruled by the Vedar Rajas. Kurumbranadu Royal Dynasty of Kannur held rights to the land in early 18th century. It briefly came under the rule of the Kingdom of Mysore as it campaigned in the Malabar coast. Pazhassi Raja of Kurumbranadu helped the British in their fight against Tipu Sultan. Following Mysore's withdrawal the Raja and the British parted their ways. And in 1799,after the fall of Tipu, the British took over Wayanad. Pazhassi Rajah engaged in a prolonged guerrilla war with the British until he was killed in 1805. When the state of Kerala came into being in 1956, Wayanad was a part of Kannur district; later in 1957 south Wayanad was added to Kozhikode district and north Wayanad remained with Kannur district. By amalgamating the north Wayanad and south Wayanad, the present Wayanad district came into being on the 1st November 1980 comprising of three taluks; Vythiry, Mananthavady and Sulthan Bathery. One important characteristic feature of this district is the large adivasi population, consisting mainly of Paniyas, Adiyas, Kattunayakan and Kurichiyans. It is the district with the highest share in the adivasi population (about 36%) of Kerala. Wayanad also has a large settler population. The jains from Karnataka came in the 13th century. The Hindu Nairs from Kottayam-Kurumbranadu (Kannur) made an entry in the 14th century and established their feudal system. They were followed by Muslims. There was large scale migrations from southern Kerala in the early 1940s. Their hard work helped them to build prosperous lives.Christians who came in the 1950s from Travancore, were well established as plantation owners until the crash in the price of plantation crops. On the other hand, the last few decades have seen the complete marginalisation of the indigenous people. Alienated from their land, exploited by the settlers and neglected by the state, their struggle for rights to the land has so far been unsuccessful.

    Wayanad is 3.79% urbanised. Agriculture, is the main stay of the economy. Coffee, tea, cocoa, pepper, plantain and vanilla are the main crops. Besides these cash crops, the most important crop in the district is rice. Dams and aqueducts have been constructed to take water to the otherwise dry areas in the district. The district is prone to an agrarian crisis, due to the high dependence of the population on agricultural income. Between 1997 and 2005, more than 150,000 farmers across India have committed suicide, of which nearly 8% were from Kerala (11,516). 90% of this was in Wayanad and the reasons contributing to farmer suicide were mainly due to a crash in prices of locally-grown crops such as coffee, pepper, ginger, arecanut, etc as well as plant epidemics. The NREGS (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) enacted by the current UPA government has helped and Wayanad and Palakkad were the only districts selected to receive the benefits under this scheme, the need being most acute in these districts[1]. The daily wage under NREGS at Rs. 125, regardless of gender, in Kerala is the highest among all the states. Work under NREGS includes building elephant trenches (crop-raiding by wild elephants is another problem in Wayanad), waterbodies, roads, etc. Due to a combination of the NREGS and measures undertaken by the state government, in 2007, the state reported 10 farmer suicides as opposed to 131 in 2004.
     Wayanad district stands on the southern top of the Deccan plateau and its chief glory is the majestic Western ghats with lofty ridges interspersed with dense forest, tangled jungles and deep valleys, the terrain is rugged. Quite a large area of the district is covered by forest but the continued and indiscriminate exploitation of the natural resources point towards an imminent environmental crisis.Chembra Peak (2100 m), Banasura peak (2073 m), Brahmagiri (1608 m) are some of the important mountains in the district. The Kabini River, one of the three east flowing rivers of Kerala, is an important tributary of the Kaveri River. Almost the entire Wayanad district is drained by Kabini and its three tributaries, the Panamaram, Mananthavady, and Kalindy rivers. The Banasura Sagar Dam is built on one of tributaries of the Kabini River. The distance from the mean sea level and forest cover creates a salubrious climate in the region. Generally the year is divided into four seasons; cold weather (December to February) hot weather (March to May) South West monsoon (June to September) and North East monsoon (October to November). During the hot weather the temperature goes up to a maximum of 35 °C and during the cold weather the temperature goes down to 10 °C. The more perceived temperature variation in in the last 5-6 years is in the range of 18-28 degree Celsius. The average rainfall is 2,500 mm per year. The Kozhikode- Mysore National Highway No. 212 passes through Wayanad district. Nearest railway station is at Kozhikode, 75 km from Kalpetta. Kozhikode airport at Karippur is the nearest airport. There are good road connections to various parts of Kerala and other neighbouring states. Buses go frequently between important centres. While travelling from Mysore take the NH 212. At a place called Gundlupet the road forks , one goes to Ooty and the other goes to Sultan Batheri, which is a small town of Wayanad. This road passes through Bandipur forest and then through the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary which is the Kerala state border. The roads are good except for some sections inside the Bandipur Forest.Various destinations like Mananthavady, Vythiri etc are connected by good roads. Its a good place to see.

    There are various places of touristic, ecological, religious and historic importance in the district. Thirunelli Temple is a very old temple on the foothills of Brahmagiri. Edakkal Caves, 32 km from Kalpetta near Ambalavayal, is famous for its pre-historic carvings and paintings. Muthanga is a wild life sanctuary. It is on the way from Mysore to Sulthan Bathery. Wild animals such as bison, elephant, deer, and tiger has been spotted. There are also quite a few wild birds in the sanctuary. The Jain Temple near Koottamunda, the Ananthanatha Swami Temple. Pallikunnu Church, 14 km from Kalpetta is a famous Pilgrim centre in north Kerala. Mazhuvannur Siva Temple is an ancient Shiva temple near Tharuvana. Karat Siva Temple is a very old temple near Kommayad. Sulthan Bathery is famous for its fort, which was built by Tipu Sultan. The tomb of the chieftain Pazhassi Raja, who fought the British with the help of Kurichiya warriors, is in Mananthavady. Valliyoorkav is a temple of historic and social significance. Lakkidi, the entry-point to Wayanad on the road from Kozhikode, receives one of the highest rainfalls in India. Pookode lake is a famous tourist centre near Lakkidi. For the adventorous the Chembra peak and Banasura, both over 2000 m high, provide tough challenges. Kuruva Dweep (10 km from Mananthavady) is a unique and fragile delta system on the Kabini River. An important and unusual pilgrim centre for sociologists and educationists is Kanavu a centre for alternative education which help the adivasis (tribals) to adapt to the challenges without losing their cultural moorings. Ananthanatha Swami Temple, {also known as ParswanathaSwamy Jain Temple at Puliyarmala) is a beautiful Jain temple located at Puliyarmala, 6 km from Kalpetta. Pakshipathalam is a very popular trekking spot [7.5 km oneway] on the Kerala-Karnataka border. Soochipara,Kanthapara and Meenmutty are waterfalls in the Meppadi-Ambalavayal region.   Muthanga Wild Life Sanctuary s the second largest wildlife sanctuary in the state and covers an area of 344 sq. kms. The sanctuary is adjacent to the Mudumalai wild life sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and Bandipur wild life sanctuary in Karnataka. Elephant, spotted deer, gaur, sambar and sloth bear are the main attractions. The sanctuary is also rich in birds and reptiles.
Wayanad Wild Life Sanctuary Muthanga is the abode for a wide variety of wildlife and beautiful birds. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary originated in the year 1973. Later in 1992 it was brought under the Project Elephant. Wayanad Wild Life Sanctuary in Muthanga has fair numbers of the magnificent mammals (elephants). Project Elephant was proposed to prevent ruthless hunting of the tuskers for commercial reasons.
 The Wildlife Species that could be spotted during Wayanad Wildlife Safari include Elephants, Gaur, Cheetal, Dholes, Jackals, Tigers and Otters. The avifaunal species that could be spotted on a Wayanad wildlife safari include Crested Serpent Eagle, Crested Hawk Eagle, Malabar Grey Hornbill and King Vultures. Common leopard butterfly could be spotted if you are lucky enough. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary at Muthanga is a very famous tourist attraction for children and nature lovers. Mainly children love a casual stroll inside the sanctuary viewing the magnificent and beautiful beasts. In elephants the male has a big tusk. It is said that the elephants are hunted for their tusks since they are used for carvings and many other purposes. Gaur is a kind of wild bison which are really big and well built. Cheetal is a type of deer which has spots all over its body and looks nice. Dholes and jackals are predators and so are the tigers. Otters are mammals which live close to water bodies.As far as the avifaunal species, crested serpent eagle, and crested hawk eagle are big eagles which enjoy a kind of lengthier flights in the air without flapping their wings for minutes. In the Wayanad Wild Life Sanctuary you can also spot Malabar grey hornbill which has a significantly big beak. King Vultures are magnificent birds with brightly colored beak and is a kind of scavenger and predator too.   Wayanad Wild Life Sanctuary, at Muthanga is the perfectly houses a number of Wayanad Wild Life. Wayanad Wild Life Sanctuary occupies a total area of 345 kilometers. It will take a whole day and more for visiting this sanctuary fully. Another notable fact about Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is that it is the second largest sanctuary in Kerala. Upper Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and Lower Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in north and south respectively are two disconnected parts of the sanctuary. There were previously forest region in between the two parts of the sanctuary which is now occupied by plantations.
     Wayanad Wild Life Sanctuary is also referred to as Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary is situated on the Kerala side of Western Ghats. The major wild life attractions in this sanctuary are Sloth Bears, Reptiles, Sāmbhar, Elephants, Tigers, Monkeys, Spotted Deer, Panthers, Civet Cats, Bison, Lizards, Wild Dogs, Bears, Leopards, and Lion-Tailed Macaque.If you wish, you can take a ride on elephant back and view the nature trails and notice a beautiful green world. There are also tiny and brightly colored butterflies flitting on sweet flowers and shrubs. During the months of June through October, you will be able to see a flourishing atmosphere in Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary. Brightly colored and gorgeous Peacocks and Peafowl can also be spotted in the area. Peacock the national bird of India is a brightly colored and beautiful bird. Male peacocks have excellent and extravagant tail.  The specialty of the male Indian peafowl is its iridescent blue-green plumage. The male exhibits its beautiful tail fully wide open during its courting season. Currently Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary is an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary is a part of the Wayanad plateau. The vegetation in Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary is predominantly of the moist deciduous teak forests. You can also spot west-coast semi-evergreen trees. Next time you visit Wayanad, forget not to visit the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary with your children and enjoy an excellent touring experience. Nature lovers will really be excited to view the scenic beauty prevailing inside the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary.
Muthanga Case
  The Sulthan Bathery First class Judicial Magistrate Court I on Tuesday, 2^nd August,2011 acquitted 70 of the 114 tribes people arrested on the charge of encroaching on forest land at Muthanga inside sanctuary on February 19,2003. First class Judicial Magistrate acquitted the 70 tribes people citing lack of evidence for their involvement in the offence
As many as 114 tribes people from the district were arrested under various sections of the wild life protection Act for allegedly encroaching on the sanctuary.

                                             Prof. John Kurakar