A pungent smell indicates that a bear is in the vicinity. The sound of breaking branches and twigs means that an elephant is about. A langur’s cry means he has spotted a tiger. This is jungle wisdom. But, how many of us know it? Trek organisers in the city say that a safari is not just about experiencing adventure, but also being aware of these basic jungle rules. “You cannot take any situation for granted. The forest is the animal’s home and you are walking into their space. You must respect it,” says Pravin Shanmughanandam of Thadam Experiences, a travel group.
Pravin laments that there are always members of a trek team who disrupt the rules of the forest. “Some enthusiastic bird watchers record the bird calls on their phone and play it, hoping that will attract the birds. But, that just disturbs them.” And, always watch out for animal calls, these are part of Nature’s communication system to alert you to danger, he adds. This why you need a naturalist with you if you are on a wildlife trek, says naturalist Lingesh Kalingarayar. “Anyone can walk into a jungle. But, our aim is to make it an educative experience. You tend to learn more if a naturalist is on board. You learn to appreciate the forest more. If there are children in the group we talk to them in their language and teach them too to be alert. Never reprimand them,” he says. Canopy Nature Academy organises bird watching trips for children. Says Saravanan Chandrasekaran, its founder, “Children are curious. They will naturally put their hand into the bushes, without realising there may be scorpions and snakes in them. I do not take them anywhere unsafe. If there are 20 kids, there will be at least 10 volunteers so that each child gets personal attention. We also try to keep the group small.”
It’s always good to be accompanied by a local tribal, says Pravin. “He has the conventional wisdom. He knows the forest inside out. We always ensure we have one of them on our expeditions into the forest.” The forest department is very particular that a guard and a watcher accompany the trekking team, says C.H. Padma, District Forest Officer, Coimbatore Additional Charge. “Most of our watchers are tribals . The forest is home to them.” The department allows children only to Siruvani and Kovai Kutralam.
The rules in Tamil Nadu are very stringent. There are very few designated trek routes, permitted by the Government, in the city. “There are only two to three trekking routes in Coimbatore. There are not many organised treks because most of them are high slope forests and also because of the heat and forest fires,” says Padma. There is reluctance to allow free access to the forests as people abuse the forest by dumping plastic, feeding the monkeys and drinking, says P.R. Selvaraj of Coimbatore Nature Society. Selvaraj and his team started a trekking group 20 years back. But, in the last three years, they have been only focussing on bird trips.
He says forests are not the only interesting places and people should start showing interest in other terrains as well. “Such as the foothills and wetlands, which are accessible. You tend to see so many rare migratory birds in the wetlands.” He says we need more responsible wildlife tourism that blends enjoyment with educative experience. The club recently came out with a book on the birds of Coimbatore. “The documentation aimed to bring awareness and the Department appreciated us. When you go without any work or an intention to serve Nature, the government will not cooperate with you. Our aim is to create a community that will enjoy the beauty of Nature and at the same time engage in scientific data collection. It is very important that a trek stimulates you intellectually as well.”
