Established in the year 1984, Aralam wildlife sanctuary of Kannur is located at a distance of 60 kilometers from Kannur. It is spread over a small area of 55 square kilometers. Aralam national park is situated on the slopes of the Western Ghats.
Facts of Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary:
Location: 35 Kms From Thalassery, Kerala
Area covered: 1145 m Above Sea Level
Main Wildlife Found: Sloth Bear, Mouse Deer
Best time to visit: October to June
Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary:
Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala covering a very small area only 55 sq.km located in western slopes of Western Ghats. Established in 1984 and lies in the most northern part of Kerala. The headquarters of the sanctuary are situated in a small town which is 55 kms from Kannur named Iritty. The sanctuary adjoins the Central State Farm at Aralam. Place is located between 11°50' and 11°52' North and 75°49' and 75°57' East.The sanctuary receives an annual rainfall of around 3000 mm. The best time to visit the place is October to June. The monsoons last from June to September. This beautiful sanctuary is situated near the Central State farm, which was established by the Government of India in the year 1971. This farm is spread over a vast area of 3060 hectares and is one of the main production centers of crossbred coconut seeds in India.
Topography in Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary:
The elevation varies from 50m to 1145m. The highest peak is Katti Betta, which is 1145m. high.
Climate (Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary):
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 (Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary):
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 (Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary):
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.
How to get there?
Air : The nearest Airport is at Kozhikode, 113 kms.
Rail : Thalassery is the nearest Railway Station, 35 kms.
