The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is nestled in hilly terrains and forests, sheltering numerous species of birds and animals. It is also the habitat for a wide range of vegetation and trees comprising the total flora of the forest.

The word means Wayanad ‘land of swamps’, as the forest too is covered with a thick vegetation including swamps. The forest is dominated by the south Indian moist deciduous type of trees. Some parts of the forest has patches of west coast semi evergreen forest as well. A huge percentage of the forest, around 110 sq kms, have dense covering of teak, eucalyptus and grevelia trees, adding more greenery to the forest.