Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary
Forest Minister of Kerala Mr. Benoy Viswom inaugurated the 16th Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary on 08th August 2010. Kerala Government and Forest Department formed the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary with a mission to protect the rare species of flora and fauna available in reserve Forest Areas in Kozhikode and Wayanad Districts. Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary's head quarters is at Peruvannamuzhi. Peruvannamuzhi Reservoir and Kakkayam Dam are well known famous tourist places in Kozhikode district, which are comes under the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Location & Area of Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary
Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Chakkittappara and Koorachundu revenue villages of Koyilandy Taluk in Kozhikode District. Total area of Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary is 74.22 square kilometers and the core area is approximately 54 square kilometers. Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across in three villages under Koyilandy Taluk of Kozhikode District including Kakkayam Pannikottur reserve Forest Area of the Peruvannamoozhi range and Karapara; Olathuki, Shankaranpuzha and the Attikkode vested area.
Major Attractions
Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary contains a marvelous diversity of flora and fauna. Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary is very rich various types of plants, grass varieties, Marshy grasslands, etc. More than 680 species of flowering plants including 226 species endemic to southern Western Ghats, more than 200 species of medicinal plants, 52 species of bryophytes including 28 liverworts and 24 mosses are reported in Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary.here are 69 species of plants in Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, which are considered under various threat categories. Some trees like Meteromyrtus wayanadensis, Syzygium stocksii, Parinarium indicum, Coffea crassifolia (previously considered as extinct), Garcinia malabarica are found here with good and viable population. There are 39 species of grasses, 22 species of orchids and 28 species of legumes recognized from Kakkayam. Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary also contains 16 species of Lauraceae, 11 species of Myrtaceae, 10 species of Clusiaceae and 9 species Melastomataceae.
The Fauna at Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary
Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary is rich with variety types of Mammals, Birds, Reptilian, Amphibian, Fishe, Butterflies, Dragonflies, etc. Presence of 41 types of Mammals reported in Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, including 6 Western Ghats endemics. Western Ghats endemics are Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, brown palm civet, stripe-necked mongoose, dusky palm squirrel and Malabar spiny dormouse.Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary contains 180 species of birds, 12 spices are Western Ghats endemics, 13 spices protected by Wildlife Protection Act and 3 globally threatened species, they are Kerala laughing thrush (jerdoni meridionalis), Wayanad laughing thrush (Garrulax delesserti) and oriental darter (Anhinga melanogaster). Major endemic and threatened birds recorded in Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary are Malabar parakeet, grey-headed bulbul, white-bellied blue flycatcher, small sunbird, etc.
Presence of 34 species of reptiles including 12 of the Western Ghats endemics have been reported in Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary. Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary also contains King Cobra, the largest venomous snake of India, Python, many species of pit vipers, flying lizard, Geckos, Green Calotes, Roux's forest lizard, monitor lizard, etc. Malabar wildlife sanctuary is rich with 38 species of Amphibians, of which 26 are endemic to the Western Ghats. Rare and endemic species like Ansonia rubigina, Pedostibes tuberculosus, Ramanella montana, R. traingularis, Rhacophorus malabaricus, R. lateralis, Bufo parietalis and Clinotarsus curtipes are observed in Malabar wildlife sanctuary. The type locality for P. ochlandrae is the reed brakes of Kakkayam dam site, the only known site for this species.
Occurrence of 148 species of butterflies have been recorded in Malabar wildlife sanctuary, out of them 14 species are Western Ghats endemics and 12 spices rare. Rare, endemic and endangered species in Malabar wildlife sanctuary include Malabar banded swallow tail, Malabar rose, Paris peacock, Budhha peacock, Malabar raven, Painted sawtooth, Small leopard, Suastus gremiu s, Indian Palm Bob Malabar tree nymph.
Presence of 52 species of fishes including 21 Western Ghats endemics, 51 species of dragonflies including 11 Western Ghats endemics also recorded in Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary.
