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POINT CALIMERE
M MOHAMED SHEIK RAVUTHAR
Forests and wildlife of Nagapattinam district
Other animals of the sanctuary include the jackal, spotted deer, jungle cat,
feral horses, black napped hare, etc. including a variety of reptiles.
From October to January nearly 90 species of migratory water birds
visit the sanctuary and its surroundings. They include Flamingoes, Painted storks,
Pelicans, Spoonbills, ducks, teals and a variety of shore birds. The best time to visit
the sanctuary for bird watching is November-December. The sanctuary is open to
visitors throughout the year.
A Forest Rest House at Kodiakkarai is available for visitors to the sanctuary.
Visitors may contact Wildlife Warden at 04365- 253092 or
Ranger, Kodiakkarai at 04369-272424
Blackbuck- the most important herbivore
Olive Ridley turtles nests in the sanctuary beach from Jan-March
On 14th November, 2000 a 35 ft long Bryde’s whale was rescued
from mud about 10 km west of Kodiakkarai. The rescue operation was
carried out with the active support of district administration. Pic: Top: A full grown Bryde’s whale. Bottom: Diagram showing padding of whale for towing during rescue.The sanctuary is now declared
as a Ramsar site
Sanctuary vegetation
Tropical dry-evergreen forest covers nearly 15 sq.kms of Pt. Calimere
Wildlife sanctuary. The forests are mostly of the nature of scrubland that
stands on low sand dunes located on the western half of the sanctuary.
Manilkara hexandra, locally called Palai is the most important evergreen
species of the sanctuary forest. In the sanctuary grasslands the dominant
graminoid is Aeluropus lagopoides followed by Sporobulu tremulus and
Cressa cretica. The forest is home to 154 species of medicinal plants
like Mucuna pruriens, Solanum trilobatum, Tinospora cordifolia Randia
dumatorum and Cissus quadrangularis
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