The Hindu : Kerala News : Kodanad needs a facelift

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 22, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala

Kodanad needs a facelift

K.A. Martin

KOTHAMANGALAM: Kodanad Wild Animal Rescue Centre and Elephant Krall is waiting for a facelift it needs so badly.

The place is crowded both for the animals and the people who frequent the centre in large numbers. The number of visitors has gone up so much in recent times that there is hardly space to park the vehicles that bring the visitors.

A Rs.1.25-crore proposal for developing Kaprikkad, close to the Elephant Krall, and shifting the spotted deers and sambars to the new venue is pending approval by the government, said an official of the Forest Department here.

The proposal is about a year old and seeks to create more space for the elephants at the centre. Once the deer are shifted there will be sufficient space for the other animals at the centre which is a big draw with both foreign and domestic tourists.

Picnic spot

Kaprikkad is a famous picnic spot and an eco-tourism centre. There is more than 10 hectares of land that can be utilised for the deer at Kaprikkad, said the Forest Department official. The flow of tourists could be channelled so that they visit both the Elephant Krall and the proposed new centre once the animals are shifted there.

There are several species of animals at the centre, including eight elephants. The elephants, two adults and six calf, are the major attractions. The adult elephants too are popular with the visitors. An elephant ride costs Rs.200 for people and the 37-year-old Sunitha is used for the rides. The Kodanad centre remains closed on Mondays.

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