(File Photo), Deccan Chronicle
The Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), which had been closed for the last four months, was thrown open for tourists on Tuesday.
However, there were hardly any visitors during the day. “The public wouldn’t have known about the reserve opening; however we expect tourists to come for sight-seeing from this weekend,” said Pollachi District Forest Officer Mr Velusamy.
The tourist lodging facilities comprising rooms with a total of 120 beds had been kept ready by the Forest department to accommodate tourists. However, the tourists will not be able to go on elephant safaris at ATR as the animals were given rest in view of the rejuvenation camp that begun on Tuesday.
“The elephant safari has been suspended for 48 days from Tuesday to provide complete rest to the animals. Normally three male elephants are engaged for carrying tourists in the forest for around two kilometres,” added Mr Velusamy.
The rejuvenation camp for 18 forest elephants has started in ATR a day after the beginning of a similar camp for temple elephants at Mettupalayam. For the forest elephants, the diet and refresher activities will be the same as that of temple elephants.
With the reopening of ATR, several tourist places like Top Slip, Monkey Falls, Chinna Kallar Falls, Nallamudi View Point, Manampalli and Amaravathi Crocodile Farm will see tourists.
The ATR had been closed since July 25 following an interim ban by the Supreme Court on all tourist activities in core tiger reserves across the country.
Though as per the prescribed Supreme Court guidelines, tourism activities can be allowed within the stipulated 20 per cent of the core area, the Forest department has decided to allow tourism in only 6.1 per cent of the core area.
“Tourism will be allowed in the same areas where it was permitted before the implementation of the ban,” said Mr Rajiv Srivastava, Field Director of ATR.
source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Channels> Cities> Regions> Coimbatore / by V. Ashok, DC, Coimbatore / November 28th, 2012