Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary

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Karimpuzha Wildlife sanctuary
LocationNilambur, Malappuram district, Kerala, India
Area227.97 km2 (88.0 sq mi)
Established2020

Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary is a Wildlife sanctuary near Nilambur, Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is declared as a wildlife sanctuary on 3 July 2020. It covers an area of 227.97 km2 and comprises the New Amarambalam Reserved Forest and Vadakkekotta vested forest, except the Manjeri colony of the Cholanaikar tribe.[1] It forms a portion of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

Ecological significance[edit]

The Karimpuzha WLS links the Silent Valley National Park in Kerala and Mukurthi National Park in Tamil Nadu and thereby create a contiguous protective area stretch.[2] It also borders the Mukkuruthi National Park in the south and the Silent Valley National Park buffer zone in the northeast.[1] Also, the New Amarambalam reserve which is part of the Karimpuzha wildlife sanctuary has one of the most pristine forests untouched by humans.[2]

The landscape of the wildlife sanctuary ranges from 40m to 2,654m above sea level and hence have a huge altitudinal gradient. The Karimpuzha sanctuary is also the only forest stretch in Kerala where seven forest types are all present- Semi-evergreen forest, Evergreen rainforest, moist deciduous forest, sub-tropical savannah, sub-tropical hill forest, montane wet temperate forest and montane wet grasslands.[2]

Fauna[edit]

The Karimpuzha wildlife sanctuary has almost all the mammals endemic to Western Ghats including the Nilgiri Tahr and Lion-tailed macaque. The wildlife sanctuary is home to 226 bird, 213 butterfly species,[2] 23 species amphibian species, 33 reptile species and several endangered fish species.[1]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Karimpuzha sanctuary comes into being". The Hindu. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d K R Rajeev (1 July 2020). "Karimpuzha to be Kerala's 18th wildlife sanctuary". Times of India. Retrieved 4 September 2020.