24-05-2025
Kozhikode declares district symbols through first people's biodiversity declaration
Kozhikode: Athiranni (Melastoma malabathricum) was declared as the flower and Menipponman (Ceyx erithaca) as the bird of Kozhikode district. The Malabar Rose (Pachliopta pandiyana) is the district's butterfly.
Eeyakam (Hopea erosa) was declared as the district tree. The Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is the district's aquatic animal, the Pathala Poontharakan (Pangio bhujia) is the fish and the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) is the animal.
This is the first people's biodiversity declaration in the state. Although a biodiversity declaration was conducted in Kasaragod under the guidance of an expert committee two years ago, this is the first time it was done through a public study.
The declaration was made after incorporating it into the district panchayat's 2024-25 annual plan, forming special expert committees for each category. Nominations were received from the public at the local level under the supervision of these committees and the leadership of Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) units, followed by detailed study and analysis.
