Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Tourism

Tourism      Wildlife      National Parks      Kerala     Kannur    



Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary

 

Place

:

Kannur District, Kerala

Nearest town

:

Iritty (5kms)

Best time to visit

:

September to May

Significance

:

The Northernmost protected area of Kerala state.

Timings

:

8 am to 4 pm.

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The tranquil Aralam Wildlife sanctuary is situated in the southeast part of Kannur District of Kerala State. Spread over 55 square kilometres, the sanctuary falls in the Aralam, Kelakam and Kottiyur revenue villages and is located on the slopes of the Western Ghats contiguous with the forests of the Kodagu district of Karnataka.

The northern most wildlife sanctuary of Kerala, it comes under the Wayanad Division. A home to numerous species of birds and animals, Aralam Sanctuary was established in 1984. The headquarters of the sanctuary is near Iritty, a small town about 55 kms from Kannur. The sanctuary adjoins a 3060 hectare Central State Farm at Aralam.

The Altitude ranges from a lower 60 m to a top 1489 m. Cheenkanni Puzha is the main water source of this sanctuary and the scenic beauty of Aralam fringing on this river is truly an exhilarting experience for all nature lovers and photographers. The sanctuary's terrain is rugged in most places with hillocks. The tallest peak here is Katti Betta, scaling to a height of 1,145 m. The hilly terrains provide opportunities for trekking also.

Flora
The sanctuary consists of various vegetation zones mainly Tropical Evergreen Forest, Tropical Semi Evergreen Forest, Hilltop Evergreen Forest, Moist Deciduous Forest. There are about 490 ha of teak and eucalyptus plantations within the forest area. Myristica Species, Mesua ferrea, Calophyllum elatum, Cullenia rosayroona, Magnifera indica, Largestroemia lanceolata, Toona cillata, Euphorbia Longana, Strobilanthes, Hopea parviflora, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum, Mechilus macrantha, Xyliaxylocarpa, Mallotus are some other tree species found in the sanctuary.

Fauna
The sanctuary has a wide variety of fauna with over 23 Amphibians, 114 Butterflies, 39 Fishes, 23 Mammals and 22 Reptiles. Bonnet macaque, Bison, The Indian wild boar, Lion tailed macaque, The Indian porcupine, Hanuman langur Indian pangolin, Nilgiri langur, Common palm civet, Slender loris, Otter, Tiger, Leopard, Elephant, Common mongoose and various types of squirrels are some of the animals seen here. Around 190 species of birds, even some species considered extinct, have been found here. Some of the common birds found in the sanctuary are Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Great Pied Hornbill, Ceylon Frogmouth and Broad billed Roller.

Facilities

Eco-tourism is promoted in a big way in Aralam. One of the interesting ecotourism activities in Aralam is the comprehensive package for trekking inside the sanctuary such as Adventurous trekking to Ambalappara, Trekking to Meenmutty falls and Day visit at Aralam Sanctuary. Tents and sleeping bags are also available and about 6 tourists can be permitted in a package for 3 days along with 5 Watchers/ Guides. Nature Camps of two types such as 2 day camps and 3 day camps are also conducted for Students of L.P, U.P, H.S, College and E.D.C / VSS members and other NGO's involved in environmental conservation inside the sanctuary. Usually 50-60 camps are conducted every year. The park opens from 8 am to 4 pm.

Fees
Adult Rs.15/-, Children (Below 12 years) -Rs.7/-, Foreigners Rs.150/-, Vehicle (Heavy) Rs.150/-, Vehicle (Light) Rs.75/-, Vehicle (Others) Rs.20/-, Guide Rs.150/-, Video / Movie Rs.150/-, Ordinary Camera Rs.25/-.

   






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