NILGIRIS: After documentary film ‘Elephant Whisperers’, which captured the enduring bond between a tribal couple and an orphaned baby elephant, won the Oscars, the number of Indian and foreign tourists visiting the Theppakadu elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) has seen a huge jump.
Tourists have been flocking the elephant camp, which has been in operation for more than 50 years, to see the couple, Belli and Bomman, and elephants Ragu and Bommi, and to click pictures with them.
According to sources, the number of Tamil Nadu tourists visiting the camp in April this year (a month after the Oscar award) was 13,237 and it rose to 25,675 in May during summer holidays. About 14,555 tourists visited the camp in June, 11,041 in July, 10,366 in August, and 8,938 tourists visited the camp in September.
“In 2022, 9,367 TN tourists had visited the camp in April and the number was 16,350 in May,” C Vidya, deputy director of MTR (core), said. “The film has brought global fame to the camp,” she said. The number of foreign tourists too has jumped from 25 in April 2022 to 121 for the same month this year. While the count was 69 in May 2023, it went up to 143 in July, and 104 in September this year. “Most of the foreign tourists were from France, Germany, Canada and England. The pristine camp and caring of the elephants by the tribal couple, as portrayed in the film, have all captured the viewers’ imagination,” she said.
Recently, the state government had issued a GO for constructing 44 quarters for mahouts and cavadys at a cost of 10 lakh. The forest department has identified the site and the work is expected to start soon.
“CM MK Stalin has given Rs 1 lakh each to all mahouts and cavadys. We have improved drinking water facilities to their quarters and conducted health camps.
As part of enhancing safety, we have also installed solar fences. We have been carrying out various activities for the welfare of tribal people,” said D Venkatesh, conservator of forests, Nilgiris, and field director of MTR D Sathish Kannan who runs a travel agency near Ramanathapuram in Coimbatore said, “I visited the camp with my wife and children and took selfies with elephant Ragu. My children were curious to visit the camp after watching the film. We could not meet Belli and Bomman as they had left for a programme. Will try to meet them again,” he said.