Adventures at Parambikulam

Adventures at Parambikulam

Three sleepy, scruffy, puffy-eyed youngsters tumbled out of the Coimbatore Express to meet a very concerned dad on July 19. We were on our way to Parambikulam, a wildlife sanctuary, tucked away between the Aanamalai range in Tamil Nadu and the Nelliampatti range in Palakad district, Kerala. Arun, Hope and I had come to make a documentary for the DFO, at Parambikulam. We had no idea of what to expect as far as accommodation and food was concerned and as far as wildlife we relied on a checklist from the website. Fingers crossed, we embarked on our journey by road with my dad driving and asking questions: where would I eat, where would I sleep (parents will be parents!)…

Roadside beauties

Trusting my bottomless stomach I packed more food than clothes. I thought it would be humid and hot but I was wrong, cold air soon whipped my face as we zipped past the lush green hills of the Western Ghats. We stopped every now and then to take pictures of birds and small animals (being naturalists studying zoology). Butterflies fluttered in millions across the road and the long journey was filled with three of us trying to guess which species these “roadside beauties” belonged to. After four hours of driving and clearing three checkposts, we reached the DFO’S office at Annaikati. The DFO was very encouraging and made arrangements for our stay. We drove further up the valley to Parambikulam with the guide who told us how a pair of tigers chased a bus. We spent seven days of continuous trekking being drenched by the rain, drinking from crystal clear streams, protecting our cameras and video gear with raincoats, eating like ants and spending the nights to document the birds, insects and animals we had spotted during the day.

Dangerous giants

One morning, after trekking half the distance to Karimala (the highest view point), we got chased by an elephant herd feeding in the valley below. Crouching and crawling we went down the steep, leech-infested slopes, except this time the sun shone as if to mock us. The next day, we took the trail that led to the Kannimara. To our surprise our guide, who was walking before us ran back yelling like a mad man, “yanai kandhu, road melai ondu” (I saw elephants, they are on the road). Running was fine but not making a noise was not a joke especially when there were rotting branches and fresh puddles everywhere. We jumped off the road and slid down the slope, walked by the banks of the Parambikulam lake with elephant droppings and broken bamboo lining the way. After three hours of walking up steep slopes, drenched in pouring rain, we reached the base camp.

Got them!

On the last day we encountered the same herd. Our guide refused to accompany us and we desperately needed coverage of these giants since it was our last day. We crept along the bushes and took very valuable footage for the documentary. We also got to see the Gaur, Sambar, Barking Deer, Nilgiri langur, lion-tailed macaque, wild dog or dole, my favourite wild elephants and a long list of birds.After hiking back to the base camp, we caught the bus to Pollachi and started on the journey back to Chennai. It felt odd, we would go to our individual classes, may be meet in the canteen to catch up with wildlife updates. But it was not the same as hiking up steep hills together learning what nature had to give, first hand! Back to the last bench, back to notes. But we will meet again sometime, for our next adventure.

Must Knows

Best Time: September-March

Getting There: Pollachi is the nearest town (39 km away). Drive down to enjoy the scenic beauty. Buses or cars have to pass through Aanamalai-Sethumadai(Topslip)-Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary to reach Parambikulam Sanctuary. Public buses are available from Pollachi to Topslip and Parambikulam

Accommodation: Tented houses, halls, treetop cottages and machans throughout the sanctuary at rates varying from Rs 80 to Rs 3000.

Treks: We classify treks into soft ,medium and hard depending on the distance and type of terrain. Soft treks: Rs. 300. Medium treks: Rs. 600 to 3000 (for a minimum group of six people). Hard treks: Rs. 1000 to 4000

Do’s and Don’ts

•           Don’t forget that the sanctuary closes its gates at 6.00 p.m. and opens at 7.00 a.m.

•           Don’t wear bright clothes or perfume(dull greens, brown and khaki are best).

•           Travel in small groups so you don’t scare away the birds and animals.

•           Carry a water bottle, light food, a torch, a first-aid kit and a rain coat.

•           DO NOT TRAVEL ALONE. Parambikulam is famous for its elephants and tigers.

•           Be prepared to spend around Rs.1500 a day if you truly want to experience the call of the wild