COIMBATORE: After the success of the hornbill festival, officials of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) have decided to launch Jumbo Trail, as part of creating awareness about elephant behaviour and their feeding habits on Saturday and Sunday.
The one-day tour will commence from Sethumadai from the forest department's interpretation centre Anamalaiyagam, where ATR's biologist K Anwar will explain about the flora and fauna of Anamalai, apart from showing a short documentary about the Malasar community in a mini-theatre. The tourists will then be taken to Ambuli rest house and from there they will be taken to a nearby watch tower to watch the aerial view of Pollachi.
Assistant conservator of forest of Advanced Wildlife Management Training Centre, Attakatti V Selvam said, "While walking from the rest house to the watch tower, we will explain about how the elephants are contributing to the prosperity of the forest. After having a lunch prepared by the tribal people in Topslip, the tourists will be taken to the interpretation centre there where we will explain to them about the usage of medicinal plants and narrate the story of Hugo Wood."
"They will also be taken to the tribal museum in the evening and the tourists will be explained about the behaviour pattern of tamed elephants. They will also be taken to the Kozhikamuthi elephant camp and will be explained about the history of wild elephant turned captive elephants like Chinnathambi and Arisi Raja. The tourists should know the importance of the wild elephants and temple elephants along with each of the animal contributing for the forest well being," he said.
According to sources, a tourist will be charged Rs 999 for participating in the one-day tour, which will begin at 9.30 am and end at 7.30 pm. "The amount collected from the tourists will be shared with the tribal people for improving their livelihood under the Keel Poonatchi Eco Development Committee," sources added.