KOZHIKODE: The State Wildlife Board has approved the proposal to set up a wildlife sanctuary near here.
Malabar will be the 13th wildlife sanctuary in Kerala, which has also three national parks. Kerala is home to a wide variety of fauna like Asian elephants, Bengal tigers, leopards, grizzled giant squirrels, lion-tailed macaques, sloth bears and the Indian bison.
The Wildlife Board chaired by Forest Minister Benoy Viswom took the decision last week. But the government would make a formal announcement only after the parliamentary elections scheduled for April 16.
The sanctuary will cover the 75 sq. km. of Western Ghats forest area in and around Kakkayam in Kozhikode district and its adjoining forest tracts in Wayanad district, which comes under the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary will be an integral part of the Wayanad Elephant Reserve attached to the Project Elephant that the federal government launched in 1992 to provide financial and technical support for wildlife management efforts by the states.
Elaborate studies have been conducted on setting up the sanctuary including in the Kakkayam reserve forest, vested forest of Kombium, Kalpudian tracts of Peruvannamuzhy range, and the vested forest of Achooranam and Kuriachermala of Kalpetta range.
The state government hopes to generate revenue from sustainable and responsible tourism that the state has embarked on in a big way.
The local community will be involved to take up several activities such as forestation and soil and moisture conservation. The sanctuary will also strengthen the catchments of three important reservoirs.
