ARALAM WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary !

Aralam wildlife sanctuary is the northernmost protected area of Kerala state, situated in the southeast part of Kannur District. It lies between 11° 54 and 11° 59  North latitude and 75° 47  and 75° 57 East longitude. 

The sanctuary area falls in Aralam, Kelakam and Kottiyoor revenue villages and is located in the Northwest slopes of Western Ghats contiguous with the forests of Coorg (Kodagu) district of Karnataka state.

The PA (Protected Area) is comprised of Aralam Range, the only Range of Aralam wildlife division, which is part of Northern Wildlife Circle (Northern Region) Palakkad. The extent of the sanctuary is 55 km²

The headquarters is near Iritty, a small town about 45 km from Kannur. The Cheenkannipuzha River forms the main drainage system on the southern side. The Narikkadavuthodu, Kurukkathodu and Meenumuttithodu from the northern upper reaches flow southwards to join Cheenkannipuzha.

The sanctuary is home to a vast variety of flora and fauna endemic to the Western Ghats. Sambar deer, elephant, peacock, boar, lion tailed macaque, common langur, wild dog, common otter, Malabar giant squirrel, bonnet macaque, tiger and bison are common sights. Among reptiles, the king cobra is prominently found in the sanctuary. 

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 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

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.

It is also home to 172 different types of butterflies. A bird survey is conducted every year and 215 types of birds are reported to have been sighted, including the Nilgiris wood pigeon, the blue winged parakeet and the Malabar grey hornbill. 

Eco-tourism activities are promoted in a big way.

There's a 20-km trek route from the starting point of the sanctuary to Ambalapaara (1400mts above sea level) situated on the border area of Wayanad. For adventure lovers, camping equipment including tents and sleeping bags are made available.

Location: 35 km from Thalasserry and 60 km from Kannur town in Kerala 

Best time to visit: October to March. To see the butterflies, the best months are November and December. 

How to get there

By road - Thalassery - 45 km
Kannur - 45 km
Nearest railway station: Thalassery
Nearest airport: Kozhikode (113 km)