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Novel trekking programme for Nature lovers

Trekking along the banks of a river into the smoothening greenery of forest and spending a day in the company of mist and mountain ungulates can be quite enchanting.

The managers of the Eravikulam National Park are planning to provide Nature lovers a rare treat through a conducted tour covering a wildlife sanctuary and a national park.

The programme christened Visit Tahr Valley-Chinnar Valley will be launched during the first week of May, said P.A. Sunil Babu, warden of the Eravikulam National Park.

The tour programme will combine the thrills of visiting the national park and watching the mountain ungulates and other wild animals in their natural habitat to a trip along the sandalwood forest of Mayarur.

The programme begins from Munnar and moves up to Rajamala and then proceeds to Marayur sandalwood division. From there, the visitor will be taken to Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. A trek along the banks of Chinnar river has also been included in the trip.

If the visitors are interested, the department will also organise a one-hour-long nature awareness programme for them at Chinnar.

The USP of the Visit Tahr Valley-Chinnar Valley programme is the assured sighting of wildlife including the tahr, gaur, spotted deer and elephants, said Mr. Babu.

The six buses operated by the Eco Development Committees of Eravikulam National Park will leave at 8 a.m. and will return around 8 p.m. Trained guides will accompany the visitors.

The Eravikulam National Park had witnessed an influx of visitors during the last blooming season of neela kurunjis.

During those days, around 5,000 visitors reached the park a day to witness the floral spectacle of Nature.

Though the next flowering season of neela kurunji is a few years away, there is a steady stream of visitors to the park. On an average, 1,700 visitors are coming here, said Mr. Babu.

The park managers also have plans to introduce a visit Pambadum shola programme. But that would depend upon the outcome of the Tahr Valley-Chinnar Valley programme, he said.

K.S. Sudhi

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