The Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) has launched ‘jumbo trails’, a programme aimed to educate visitors to the tiger reserve about elephants, the flora, and fauna of ATR and the aboriginal tribes who live in the hills. An initiative by ATR Field Director S. Ramasubramanian and Deputy Director (Pollachi Division) Bhargava Teja, the first jumbo trail will happen on November 26.
The biologist and other resource persons from the Forest Department will explain the exhibits at the interpretation centre and provide the registered participants with an overall view of ATR.
The participants will be taken to Top Slip in a Forest Department vehicle from where they will be taken for a nature trail to Ambili watch tower that offers a panoramic view of Pollachi. During the nature trail through the forest, resource persons will explain to them about the flora and fauna seen around. Upon reaching the watchtower, residents from the tribal settlement will give them herbal tea.
The nature trail will be followed by a visit to the interpretation centre at Top Slip where the participants will be explained about the exhibits, biodiversity and importance of forests.
The lunch prepared by residents of tribal settlements will offer participants a chance to taste tribal delicacies. This will be followed by a cultural programme in which artists from tribal settlements perform.
Next, the participants will be taken to the tomb of Hugo Wood, the British forest officer behind the vast teak plantations of Anamalai hills, which is situated on the Tamil Nadu – Kerala boundary. The programme will end at the Kozhikamuthy elephant camp where the evening feeding for Forest Department camp elephants start around 5.30 p.m.
According to authorities, the package costs ₹999 per head which covers lunch and refreshments.