Watching elephants in their natural habitat, splashing in the river and walking through forest trails flanked by trees may seem impossible for Kochiites. However, just 40 minutes away from the city lies Kodanad Elephant Training Centre, part of the Abhayaranyam Eco Tourism project, where seven elephants are thriving and playing, living their lives.
Kodanad offers a serene environment both for the pachyderms and the deer and other species that have made the centre their home. However, it is the gentle giants that call the tourists to the centre.
“Sunitha, Parvathy, Anjana, and Asha are the four females here. Hariprasad, Abhimanyu and Chandru are the three males. Each of them has their own stories from where they came from,” says Najeeb P M, the beat forest officer.
Kodanad offers a safe place for the elephants, rescued from across Kerala. In the beginning, the place was initially used for training elephants caught from the Malayattoor forest. In 2011, the government made Kodanad part of the Abhayaranyam Eco Project, which allowed elephants have more space here.
Najeeb explains that the elephants are not kept in captivity at the centre. “This is their home. People can come, meet the elephants, spend a day with them, and walk and rest with them, but from a distance. Also, there are over 180 deer, both sambar and spotted ones, here.”
The centre opens from Tuesday to Sunday, from 8am to 5pm. To see a jumbo, making a splash in the Periyar, one has to reach here as early as possible, just at the opening time.
“One trip to Kodanad, a hidden natural wonder, would shift the perspective of people living in the urban backdrop of Kochi,” Najeeb smiles.