Hotels Thekkady

Munderikadavu Bird sanctuary To Come up Soon

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:48:43 +0000

Very soon, the wetland area of Munderikadavu and the catchment of the Kattampally river in Kannur, North Kerala, will be developed into a bird sanctuary.

There are more than 18,000 birds in the area, out of which 80 per cent are migratory birds. Some of the migratory birds visiting the sanctuary area are Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Bristled Grass Bird, Grey-necked Bunting, Red-headed Bunting, Common Greenshank, Black-headed Bunting, Spotted Red Shank, Common Sandpiper, Blyth’s Reed-warbler, Wood Sandpiper, Gadwall, Garganey, Common Teal and Eurasian Wigeon. Some of them come from as far away as Northern Europe and Siberia.

This ecosystem is one of the 24 Important Bird Areas (IBA) in Kerala. They are identified by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the Birdlife International as priority sites for conservation. With the co-operation of Tourism and Forest Departments and the local bodies, reclamation of land and environmental degradation can be curbed.

Tiger and Rhino Conservation in Nepal – Forest Corridors To Help

admin — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 06:32:27 +0000

Barandabhar Forest Corridor (BFC) plays a key role in the survival of Nepal’s Indian rhinos and Bengal tigers. The forest corridor links Chitwan National Park and the Mahabharat mountain range, also known as the Little Himalayas. The area is covered with forests, grasslands and wetlands. There are about 25 mammals, 96 species of birds and 223 species of flora. Also, it is home to 14 endangered species of birds and mammals, some of which are rhinos, tigers, leopards and three vulture species.

Inconsistent management policies and rampant deforestation are problems that face the proper functioning of the forest corridor. Social initiatives and involvement will help to sustain plant and animal life in the forests. Sustainable agriculture, medicinal plant and other non-timber forest product (NTFP) harvesting and wildlife tourism are tested methods that help to conserve forests and its resources.

Golden Gate Award for Kerala Tourism – ITB Berlin 2012

admin — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:56:52 +0000

Kerala tourism has grabbed the limelight yet again this year so far! It received the prestigious Golden Gate award at ITB Berlin, a leading global travel show. Malaysia took the Gold prize in the Print Campaign Category, and Kerala took the second spot. The campaign titled ‘Your Moment is Waiting’ was conceptualised and created by Stark Communications Pvt Ltd, the creative partner of Kerala Tourism.

This a grand boost for Kerala in the world tourism arena. Just when the country will see more than 6 crore international tourists and a fewer number of domestic ones! About 10% of India’s workforce is part of the Tourism and Hospitality industry. This will ensure a good growth in the year ahead.

Four New Tiger Reserves For Maharashtra

admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:23:48 +0000

With more than 8,000sq.km of protected wildlife area, Maharashtra is a big player in wildlife conservation. And to add to that is another 350sq.km, by way of four new sanctuaries. This will help to conserve tigers, although wildlife experts claim that this area isn’t enough, looking at the amount of destruction in forest cover. Conservationists agree that the areas of Kopela-Kolamarka (Gadchiroli), Umred-Karangla (Nagpur) and grassland areas in Marathwada can be declared as sanctuaries.

The areas notified are Umarzari adjoining Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary (152.81sq.km), Navegaon sanctuary around Navegaon National Park (133.88sq.km) and new Bor sanctuary around existing Bor Wildlife Sanctuary (61.1sq.km). This way, Navegaon-Nagzira will be declared a tiger reserve and Bor will become part of the famous Pench Tiger Reserve.

Camera Trapping for Tiger Surveys – A Grand Development

admin — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:01:41 +0000

A joint effort at tiger surveys by India and Bhutan using the latest camera trapping has revealed 14 tigers, some spotted in both countries. It was conducted in Manas National Park in India and the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan. Officials from WWF and representatives from NGO Aaranyak and ATREE, who helped with the camera trapping survey, were also present.

This is the first time such an advanced method has been used in Northeast India to spot tigers. Similar exercises were conducted in Kaziranga National Park in Assam and the 1,985sq.km Namdapha National Park in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh. Earlier, surveyors used pug marks and other methods to carry out tiger surveys.

Aaranyak has successfully installed 100 cameras in the area. The image capturing will continue till March. Snow Leopards were also spotted in the survey. Namdapha was declared a National Park and a tiger reserve in 1983. Lack of good roads, electricity and manpower hamper conservation in the hills of Arunachal, especially the areas bordering Myanmar and China.

In Kaziranga National Park, the census was started last week and will go on for another month and a half. It will cover all its four forest ranges – Kohora, Bagori, Agoratoli and Burhapahar.

Sushmita Sen at Nagpur Tiger Festival

admin — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:24:15 +0000

The Nagpur Tiger Festival was held on 10^th and 11^th of February. Spreading the message of saving tigers and to promote wildlife tourism, were the main foci of the festival. Bollywood actress and one-time Miss World Sushmita Sen attended the fest.

A feast to the eyes was the popular Tiger Dance of Nagpur. There were many other shows and performances as well as photography and skit competitions for students, during the day. Another event was a fashion show on the theme of tigers.

Special Tiger Protection Force in Karnataka Forests

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:44:56 +0000

With about 300 tigers to be protected, Karnataka has set up the first ever commando force – Special Tiger Protection Force – to protect the tigers. Trained in hand-to-hand combat, use of SLRs and small arms, they are currently positioned in the forests of Bandipur, Badra and Nagarhole. Their main jobs are to act during a crisis in the forests and to manage the crowds when there is a man-animal conflict.

Recently, the state saw the influx of large numbers of poaching tribals from Madhya Pradesh. This has quickened the pace at which the team will begin work.

Idukki Dam

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:14:34 +0000

The 555-foot arch dam over the Periyar River in Idukki is the biggest arch damn in Asia and the third tallest dam in India. Built and owned by the Kerala State Electricity Board, it stands between the Kuravan and Kurathi Hills. Two other dams were constructed along with this at Cheruthoni and Kulamavu. The Moolamattom Power house near Thodupuzha draws water for power from the 60-sq.km artificial lake created by the three dams.

According to historical records, in 1922, the head of the Araya race, Shri Kolumban revealed the beautiful mountains and the water flow to his friend, the Malankara Estate Superintendent Thomas, during a hunt. A report was submitted to the Government of Travancore in 1932 for the possibility of constructing a dam for power generation. After a detailed survey was made in 1956 and allied paperwork done, the construction of the dam was commissioned in 1969.

With Canadian aid, the scope of construction of the dam was revised and after it was built, the then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi commissioned the commercial operation of the dam on 12 February 1976.

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New Nature Trail in Thekkady – Forest Dept Initiative

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:31:01 +0000

The Forest Department of Thekkady is planning to open a 2.5-km trekking path, ‘Nature Trail’, in the area. The path will start at the Thekkady gate and go on up to boat landing. The area will have information boards about plants and sculpted figures of animals endemic to the Periyar Tiger Reserve.

The work will be completed in three months, with a budget of 50 lakhs. This venture will be a boon to interested tourists, locals and researchers.

History Of Mullaperiyar Dam – Thekkady

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:58:17 +0000

The much controversial Mullaperiyar Dam stands after the confluence of the Mullayar and Periyar rivers in Idukki, and has been so named. In 1886, the then Maharaja of Travancore, forced by the British, signed an indenture with the Secretary of State for India for Periyar irrigation works for a lease period of 999 years. And by this clause, parts of Tamil Nadu such as Theni, Madurai, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram will be irrigated by the water diverted by the dam and at a later stage, the electricity produced from it. The construction of the dam started in 1887 and it started operations in 1895. It is a masonry gravity dam running a length of 1,200ft and a height of 176ft.

The dam and its reservoirs are located within the Periyar National Park, Thekkady. More than two lakh acres of land is irrigated by the dam’s waters. The water is transported via a 1.6-km tunnel that reaches the Churuliyar and Vaigai rivers in Tamil Nadu.