Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

A mere 55 sq.kms in area and located on the western slopes of the Western Ghats, the Aralam sanctuary is the northern most wildlife sanctuary of Kerala. It was established in 1984. The headquarters of the sanctuary is near Iritty, a small town about 55 kms from Kannur. The sanctuary adjoins the Central State Farm at Aralam. It lies between north latitude 11°50' and 11° 52' and east longitude 75° 49' and 75° 57'.

Topography in Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary

The elevation varies from 50m to 1145m. The highest peak is Katti Betta, which is 1145m. high.

Climate

The temperature at the foothills varies from 21° C to 40°C and at the higher reaches from 8°C to 25°C. The sanctuary receives an annual rainfall of about 3,000 mm. The wettest part of the year is from June to August. (south-west monsoon).

Forest Type

Forest coast tropical evergreen and west coast semievergreen forests are predominant. There are about 490 ha of teak and eucalyptus plantations within the forest area.

Flora in Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary

In the evergreen areas the following species are found: vellapine (Vateria indica), Mesua ferrea, Mechilus macrantha, Calophyllum elatum, Cullenia rosayroona, Magnifera indica, Toona cillata, Myristica Species, Euphorbia Longana, Strobilanthes. The common trees in the semievergreen areas are Cinnamomum Zeylanicum, Hopea parviflora, Largestroemia lanceolata, Xyliaxylocarpa, Mallotus, Philippinensis.

Fauna in Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary

A variety of animals and birds usually found in the Western Ghats are seen here. Different kinds of deer, boar, elephant, and bison are quite common. Leopard, jungle cat and various types of squirrels are sighted.

Administration

The sanctuary comes under the Wayanad Division with headquarters at Sultan Bathery. The sanctuary is under the direct charge of an Assistant Wildlife whose office is at Chathiroor near Irutti.

Wildlife Tourism

One can reach the Aralam sanctuary by road from Thalasseri (45 kms) and Kannur (45kms). The nearest railway station is Thalassery and the nearest airport is Kozhikkod, 113 kms from Irutti. The infrastructure for tourism development is limited at present, but steps are being taken by the Forest Department to improve the situation.

Wildlife in Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary

Mammals :

Bonnet macaque ,The Indian wild boar ,Lion tailed macaque ,The Indian porcupine ,Hanuman langur Indian pangolin ,Nilgiri langur ,Common palm civet ,Slender loris ,Otter ,Tiger ,Rat ,Leopard ,Malabar giant squirrel ,Indian elephant ,Three striped palm squirrel ,The Gaur ,Large brown flying squirrel ,The Sambar deer ,Common mongoose ,Barking deer ,Black napped hare ,Mouse deer

Birds:

As per the survey conducted in the wildlife sanctuary has shown a total of 188 species of birds in the sanctuary of these 12 species are endemic to Western Ghats and 18 species are in Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and 8 species are globally threatened birds(Bird Life International Red Data Book , Cambridge UK).Thirteen species included in the Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 also were recorded. Some of the rare and endangered birds at aralam wildlife sanctuary:

Nilgiri Wood Pigeon ,Malabar Pied Hornbill ,Great Pied Hornbill ,Ceylon Frogmouth ,Broad billed Roller,

Fishes :

The Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary is enriched with several streams and rivers. A survey by Shaji, et.al. (1995) has reported a total of 39 fishes from the sanctuary. The species such as Pristolepis margenata, Batasio travancoria and Pontius denisonii are endemic to Kerala. Barilius canarensis and Osteochilus thomassi are new records to the rivers. Besides these, the endangered Tor khudree also abounds in the Cheenkannipuzha.

Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary Travel Information

General Information

Location : 35 Kms from Thalassery, and 60 km from Kannur town, Kerala, India.

Established : 1984

Area : 55 Sq. Km.

Best time to visit : October to June

Climate : The temperature at the foothills varies from 21° C to 40°C and at the higher reaches from 8°C to 25°C. The sanctuary receives an annual rainfall of about 3,000 mm. The wettest part of the year is from June to August. (south-west monsoon).

Forest Type : Forest coast tropical evergreen and west coast semievergreen forests are predominant. There are about 490 ha of teak and eucalyptus plantations within the forest area.

How to Reach Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary

By Air : The nearest airport is Karipur airport, located at a distance of 71 kilometers from the sanctuary.

By Rail : The nearest railway station is at a distance of 35 kilometers from this sanctuary.

By Road : The sanctuary can be reached from anywhere in Kerala and Kannur as it well connected by a wide network of roads.