Ranipuram
Encyclopedia
Ranipuram is a hill station located within Kasargod district of Kerala
state, south India
. It is located about 48 kilometres (29.8 mi) east of Kanhangad
on the Panathoor road branching off at Panathady and lies 750 m (2,460.6 ft) above sea level adjacent to Bhagamandala forest range.
', a folk dance to please the mother goddess held in the month of May. This place was formerly known as Madathumala until the 1970s, when it was purchased by the Catholic Diocese of Kottayam for the purpose of settlement. Settlers renamed it as Ranipuram in memory of the virgin mother.
. Part of the way the climb is assisted by cut steps. The ambiance of the forest trail is remarkable and once you reach the "Mani" (grass covered hilltop) the view is superb. The undulating cloud-topped hills stretch up to the plains and ocean on the horizon.
This is unexplored territory for the nature enthusiast and birdwatcher. Butterflies are in abundance and birds of the evergreen biotope like the black eagle
,crested serpent eagle and little spider hunter common. Elephant
s pay visits in the summer months and leopard
s have been sighted in the not-too-distant past. The Ranipuram forest should be declared as a wild life sanctuary by Kerala Forest Department
to merge with borders of Thalakavery wild life sanctuary in Karnataka. The proposed Ranipuram Wildlife Sanctuary may protect and maintain overall biodiversity of the area in a better way. The place holds immense potential for ecotourism
and may develop into a premier hill station
in Kerala with the judicious development of amenities. Tourist cottages are available here provided by the KTDC
and some private players have entered the scene. The proposed Ranipuram Wildlife sanctuary will be a boon to tourism development in Kasaragod district.
forest seen only here in this district. Elephants, Leopard, wild dogs, Deer, wild boar, macaques, jungle cats, leopard
s, slender loris, porcupine, malabar giant squirrels, malabar civet
and rare butterflies and medicinal plants are found in these forest. Most of these highly endangered animals are killed by people due to lack of conservational awareness or to protect their crops. Ranipuram wild life sanctuary will be in contiguous to Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary
in Karnataka
.
For this purpose, nearby reserve forests such as Panathady, eleri and konnakad can be encompassed to an area of 80 km2 of forest. If it is declared as a wild life sanctuary, it may enhance the tourism industry of this district along with Ranipuram hill station. Declaring it as a Biodiversity/ wildlife sanctuary is the only way to protect this Westernghat biodiversity hotspot and to ensure its survival for future generation. Illegal country liquor are made deep in the jungle. Poaching of wild boar, porcupine, hares, deers and even monkeys for their meat taking place mostly in the night time. It is never reported outside and inaccessible due to hilly and remote area. For that reason, Kerala Forest&wild life department, KFRI, TBGRI, ZSI officials neglected this area and most of the central and other fund have been diverted to their nearby district instead of setting up the park here. They should immediately take up a study for setting up of the park here.
Kasaragod district surrounded by three forest district, North by Dakshin kannada (one NP and 2 wildlife sanctuaries), Kodagu in east (one NP and two wildlife sanctuaries) south by Kannur (one wildlife sanctuary and one elephant corridor). Till today, forest officials of this district never sent any proposal to state forest department or central government. For setting up sanctuary here, although shola, evergreen and mangrove forests are seen here.
Frequent visits of elephants from the nearby reserve forest suggests that it once was an elephant migratory route. Take action now before it too late. It can be successfully converted without any rehabilitation process as in the case of Malabar wildlife sanctuary of kozhikode district.
The proposed Munnamkadavu Dam and Irrigation project may very useful to create fresh water ecosystem and later a wetland ecosystem to home for wild crocodile, otter, endangered fish and other water birds. Afforestation around the catchment area of dam reservoir will help to create another new wildlife sanctuary here in future and recreate lost wild elephant corridor. It is also an integral part of Brahmagiri biosphere.
Flora: Evergreen monsoon forest, shola, orchids, medicinal plants, grass lands etc.
Mammals: about 24 species mainly Elephants, wild bison, Leopard, wild dogs, mongoose, pangolin,, Jungle cats, Malabar giant squirrels, Flying squirrels, fox, porcupine, bonnet macaques, Langur, Leopard cats, Deer, wild boar, slender loris, hares, squirrels, bats etc.
Birds: About 200 species mainly Great Indian horn bill, Paradise flying catcher, green barbet, peacock, trogon, wood pigeon, malabar grey horn bill, white bellied tree pie, heart spotted wood pecker etc..
Reptiles: King cobra, kraits, viper, rat snakes, Indian cobras, green whip snakes, monitor lizards etc.
Amphibians: About 19 species, Thousands of insects and spiders
About 100 species of butterflies including sword tail, forest nymph, malabar bird wing etc.
nomination of Natural properties of World Heritage site under UNESCO.
Nearest airports: Mangalore, about 50 km from Kasaragod;
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
state, south India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. It is located about 48 kilometres (29.8 mi) east of Kanhangad
Kanhangad
Kanhangad is a town and a municipality in Kasaragod district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is 28 km from the district headquarters of Kasaragod. Bekal Fort is a 300-year old fort, one of the largest and best preserved forts in Kerala and lies 10 km north of Kanhangad. The fort is...
on the Panathoor road branching off at Panathady and lies 750 m (2,460.6 ft) above sea level adjacent to Bhagamandala forest range.
History
Evidence of pre-settlement traditions exist in the form of 'TheyyamTheyyam
Theyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu area Theyyam or Theyyattam or Thira is a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala state, India, predominant in the Kolathunadu...
', a folk dance to please the mother goddess held in the month of May. This place was formerly known as Madathumala until the 1970s, when it was purchased by the Catholic Diocese of Kottayam for the purpose of settlement. Settlers renamed it as Ranipuram in memory of the virgin mother.
Geography
There are two trekking routes available through the South Western Ghats moist deciduous forestsSouth Western Ghats moist deciduous forests
The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southern India. It covers the southern portion of the Western Ghats range and the Nilgiri Hills between 250 and 1000 meters elevation in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states.-Setting:The ecoregion...
. Part of the way the climb is assisted by cut steps. The ambiance of the forest trail is remarkable and once you reach the "Mani" (grass covered hilltop) the view is superb. The undulating cloud-topped hills stretch up to the plains and ocean on the horizon.
This is unexplored territory for the nature enthusiast and birdwatcher. Butterflies are in abundance and birds of the evergreen biotope like the black eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
,crested serpent eagle and little spider hunter common. Elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
s pay visits in the summer months and leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
s have been sighted in the not-too-distant past. The Ranipuram forest should be declared as a wild life sanctuary by Kerala Forest Department
Kerala Forest Department
Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department is a law enforcement agency for the state of Kerala, India. It concerns on the entity of the human beings with the survival of each species in its habitat...
to merge with borders of Thalakavery wild life sanctuary in Karnataka. The proposed Ranipuram Wildlife Sanctuary may protect and maintain overall biodiversity of the area in a better way. The place holds immense potential for ecotourism
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
and may develop into a premier hill station
Hill station
A hill station is a town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The term was used mostly in colonial Asia , but also in Africa , for towns founded by European colonial rulers as refuges from the summer heat, up where temperatures are cooler...
in Kerala with the judicious development of amenities. Tourist cottages are available here provided by the KTDC
Kerala Tourism Development Corporation
The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation is a public sector undertaking that conducts and regulates the tourism activities of the Indian state of Kerala. The KTDC is headquartered at Thiruvanathapuram and has offices across all the districts of Kerala. The agency also operates hotels, resorts,...
and some private players have entered the scene. The proposed Ranipuram Wildlife sanctuary will be a boon to tourism development in Kasaragod district.
Transport
Jeep services to Ranipuram are readily available from Panathady, linked to Kanhangad by frequent bus services.Ranipuram Shola National park / wildlife sanctuary (60 km2, Proposed)
The proposed Ranipuram Wildlife sanctuary / National park consists of various Flora and Fauna which are endemic to Westernghat and yet to studied biodiversity hotspot. It merges with Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Karanata. The Ranipuram hill station which falls in Panathady reserve forest is an ideal area to convert in to a National park/wild life sanctuary. The evergreen and sholaShola
Sholas are patches of stunted evergreen tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest found in valleys amid rolling grassland in the higher montane regions of South India. These patches of shola forest are found mainly in the valleys and are usually separated from one another by undulating...
forest seen only here in this district. Elephants, Leopard, wild dogs, Deer, wild boar, macaques, jungle cats, leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
s, slender loris, porcupine, malabar giant squirrels, malabar civet
Malabar Civet
The Malabar Large-spotted Civet , is a civet. It is also known as the Malabar Civet and called Jawadi Veruku - ജാവാദി വെരുകു് in Malayalam and Chirathe Bekku in Kannada. The species was once common along the lowland coastal tracts of Kerala and Karnataka in South India...
and rare butterflies and medicinal plants are found in these forest. Most of these highly endangered animals are killed by people due to lack of conservational awareness or to protect their crops. Ranipuram wild life sanctuary will be in contiguous to Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary
Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary
Talakaveri Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in Southern Karnataka state of South India. It is located in Kodagu district and is spread over 105 km².-Flora and fauna:...
in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
.
For this purpose, nearby reserve forests such as Panathady, eleri and konnakad can be encompassed to an area of 80 km2 of forest. If it is declared as a wild life sanctuary, it may enhance the tourism industry of this district along with Ranipuram hill station. Declaring it as a Biodiversity/ wildlife sanctuary is the only way to protect this Westernghat biodiversity hotspot and to ensure its survival for future generation. Illegal country liquor are made deep in the jungle. Poaching of wild boar, porcupine, hares, deers and even monkeys for their meat taking place mostly in the night time. It is never reported outside and inaccessible due to hilly and remote area. For that reason, Kerala Forest&wild life department, KFRI, TBGRI, ZSI officials neglected this area and most of the central and other fund have been diverted to their nearby district instead of setting up the park here. They should immediately take up a study for setting up of the park here.
Kasaragod district surrounded by three forest district, North by Dakshin kannada (one NP and 2 wildlife sanctuaries), Kodagu in east (one NP and two wildlife sanctuaries) south by Kannur (one wildlife sanctuary and one elephant corridor). Till today, forest officials of this district never sent any proposal to state forest department or central government. For setting up sanctuary here, although shola, evergreen and mangrove forests are seen here.
Frequent visits of elephants from the nearby reserve forest suggests that it once was an elephant migratory route. Take action now before it too late. It can be successfully converted without any rehabilitation process as in the case of Malabar wildlife sanctuary of kozhikode district.
The proposed Munnamkadavu Dam and Irrigation project may very useful to create fresh water ecosystem and later a wetland ecosystem to home for wild crocodile, otter, endangered fish and other water birds. Afforestation around the catchment area of dam reservoir will help to create another new wildlife sanctuary here in future and recreate lost wild elephant corridor. It is also an integral part of Brahmagiri biosphere.
Flora: Evergreen monsoon forest, shola, orchids, medicinal plants, grass lands etc.
Mammals: about 24 species mainly Elephants, wild bison, Leopard, wild dogs, mongoose, pangolin,, Jungle cats, Malabar giant squirrels, Flying squirrels, fox, porcupine, bonnet macaques, Langur, Leopard cats, Deer, wild boar, slender loris, hares, squirrels, bats etc.
Birds: About 200 species mainly Great Indian horn bill, Paradise flying catcher, green barbet, peacock, trogon, wood pigeon, malabar grey horn bill, white bellied tree pie, heart spotted wood pecker etc..
Reptiles: King cobra, kraits, viper, rat snakes, Indian cobras, green whip snakes, monitor lizards etc.
Amphibians: About 19 species, Thousands of insects and spiders
About 100 species of butterflies including sword tail, forest nymph, malabar bird wing etc.
Ranipuram Forest as a Permanent habitat for wild elephants?
Wild Elephants can be seen throughout the year in Ranipuram if we make necessary water holes and good migratory route here. Now wild elephants are visiting in summer only. Karnataka Forest department doing necessary water holes for thirsty wild elpahnts. Our MLA's did not raise any voice for declaration of Ranipuram / Panathady RF as a wildlife sanctuary, which might boost up ecotourism project of this district. So we must make necessary arrangements for staying of wild elephants throughout the year. Otherwise encroachment, deforestation and quarrying may intensify in future.Ranipuram and Greater Talacaveri National Park/ Biosphere Reserve
Panathady reserve forest and kottancheri forests contiguous to Talacaveri wildlife sanctuary of Karanataka is to be included in the new Greater Talacaveri biosphere / NP. Reserve forests of this range of kasaragod district should be included in new NP for better protection of wildlife. Currently illegel hunting and deforestation widely reported from these reserve forest. Kerala forest department immedeately step into this matter. District panchayath , block panchayath and local panchayath should be discussed about this matter to save the forest and wildlife of kasaragod. Recently Panathady reserved forest included in the tentative list fornomination of Natural properties of World Heritage site under UNESCO.
Reintroduction of Nilgiri Tahr in Ranipuram
Another dream Project for kasaragod district is the Reintroduction of endangered Nilgir Tahr here in Ranipuram biodiversty park. Nilgiri Tahr was once found all over the western Ghat of kasaragod now locally extinct. Population of this wild goat increased in southern part of the state, especially Eravikulam National park. so Relocation of some of the Nilgiri Tahrs in Ranipuram can be done with help of Kerala Forest Department, District Tourism Promation council, and Wildlife Institute of India. This may lead to a Tremendous progress in Tourism in the district and also enhance the biodiversity of Ranipuram. Grassy hill slopes with vegetation, shola forests, cool climate are Ideal for relocation of Nilgiri tahr here in Ranipuram.Getting there
Nearest major railway station: Kanhangad, about 48 km from Ranipuram, on the Kozhikode-Mangalore-Mumbai route.Nearest airports: Mangalore, about 50 km from Kasaragod;