Choolanur Peacock Sanctuary, one of its kind in
Kerala, has an area of approximately 500 hectares of reserve forest spanning over
Palakkad and
Thrissur districts. The sanctuary is not thickly wooded, but has a rocky terrain spotted with shrubs and trees, and nourished by small streams.
The sanctuary houses about 200 peacocks, the national bird of India. A hundred-odd species of other birds can also be found here. Hundreds of butterflies can be seen at Choolanur soon after monsoon.
The 200-hectare forest called Kunchan Smritivanam, named after the great
Malayalam poet
Kunchan Nambiar, forms part of this sanctuary. The birthplace of Kunchan Nambiar, Killikkurissimangalam, is few km away from Choolanur.
Choolanur is 30 km from Palakkad town. The nearest airfield is C A Coimbatore Airport, 55 km away. Palakkad is the nearest railhead.
