In a unique eco-tourism experience, tourists at the state forest department's only camp for elephants at Kamlapur in Gadchiroli will be able to touch and feed these semi-captive elephants in their natural habitat by year-end. The state government plans to wean local villagers from left-wing extremism and illicit timber felling using the visitor inflows in the area.
The elephant camp, which was established around 50 years ago in Sironcha taluka, has eight elephants, including matriarch Basanti, who is aged around 55 and alpha male Ajit (23). These elephants have been kept at the camp ever since their use for timber logging was stopped.
Tushar Chavan, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Sironcha, said they had submitted a proposal to the district administration for developing tourist amenities in the elephant camp premises. This will include solar street lights, benches, sheds and roads and water supply facilities for visitors. He added they expected the work to be completed by December-end.
Tourists will be able to touch and feed these pachyderms their routine diet at prescribed times. However, mounting the animals or feeding them outside food will not be allowed. Chavan said they were now developing the camp as a commercial tourism destination that can handle around 220 tourists per day and provide employment to about 30 local villagers.
The staff and local villagers will also be trained and additional activities for tourists will be introduced. The eco-tourism project can be run by the joint forest management committee (JFMC) based on the collection of entry fees. This creation of livelihood opportunities for villagers will help wean them away from activities like timber felling and smuggling.
A wild buffalo, elephant and shekaru (Indian Giant Squirrel) interpretation centre has been proposed at Kamlapur.
"The forests in this landscape are dry and deciduous and not evergreen. In afternoons, the elephants are released into the forests and the next day, they are brought back to the camp for feeding. They are also taken to the Kamlapur lake, where people will be able to watch them frolic in the water," explained Chavan.
The department has also embedded logs in the lake which serve as nesting and breeding sites for birds. He added that they had also proposed a nature trail for visitors at the site.
Basanti, who is now the matriarch, was brought to the camp in 1962 and mated with Mahalinga, (now dead). Her progenies are Ajit (1994) and Mangala (1989). Ajit sired Lakshmi (who has been shifted to the Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve), Priyanka, Ganesh, Rani and Aditya.
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Tourists will be able to touch and feed these pachyderms their routine diet at prescribed times. However, mounting the animals or feeding them outside food will not be allowed. Chavan said they were now developing the camp as a commercial tourism destination that can handle around 220 tourists per day and provide employment to about 30 local villagers.
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