REPORT OF THE NATURE CAMP AT MUDUMALAI WILD LIFE SANCTUARY

With a view to creating awareness on the Conservation of Wild animals among the
school students, WWF-Chennai Chapter, the Council for Science & Technology (Department
of Science, Technology and Environment , Puducherry in collaboration with The
Environment Education Cell of State Training Centre in the Directorate of School
Education, Puducherry organized a Nature Camp for Secondary school students of
Puducherry Region at Mudumalai Wild Life Sanctuary, Tamilnadu on 4-6th August 2010.

As a part of the selection process of the students, Environment Education Cell

conducted an Essay Competition on “the Importance of Conservation of Forest and Wild Life
on the Earth” for IX and XI students. 25 students out of which 9 boys and 16 girls were
selected for the Camp. With them, 2 lecturers and 2 volunteers from the Department of
Science and Technology, Puducherry were nominated to accompany the students as service
providers to them. Dr.V.Krishnan, Observer of the Nature camp and Mr.V.Ramalingam, the
Coordinator of the Env.Edn.Cell were guiding the camp with great commitment.

On the evening of 3rd August 2010, the team of the Nature Camp started its journey
with the encouraging instruction and blessings from the Director of Science and Technology,
Puducherry who came in person to see the students off for the Forest Expedition to
Mudumali Wild-Life Sanctuary.

Blessings from the Director (DSTE) Dr.Mohanraj –Project Elephant Co-Ordinator

On the morning of 4th August 2010, Mrs. Rachel Pearlin State Director of WWF,
Chennai and Ms. Tamilselvi Jayachandiran, Education Officer of WWF, Chennai who had
organized the programme for the welfare of the school students of Puducherry Region
received the Team of the Nature Camp at Coimbatore and then took us in two vans to the
Field Office of the Forest Division of Mudumalai Wild Life Sanctuary in Ooty. The Field
Officer gave a lecture about the landscape, climatic condition and Flora and Fauna of
Mudumalai. And also he discussed at length the importance of Wild animals in an interactive
mode with the students. Ms.Tamilselvi, the Education Officer of WWF was requesting
officials to pass on the needy information to the students who would stay there for three days.
Following are the excerpts from their talk.
 Mr Soundrapandian, IFS , District Forest Officer, Nilgiri (North) gave a lecture about
the Nilgiri Biosphere

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary & National Park is situated at the tri-junction of the
three southern states of Tamilnadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. It was the first sanctuary in
South India and established in the year 1940. It covers an area of 321 Sq. Km. comprising of
pristine tropical wilderness. It is included as part of the Nilgiri Bio-sphere reserve which is
the first of its kind to be declared as a bio-sphere reserve in the country. A variety of habitats
ranging from Tropical Evergreen forest, Moist mixed deciduous, Moist Teak forest, Dry teak
forest, Secondary grass lands, Shrubs and Swamps exists here. The place is rich in its bio-
diversity especially the avifauna (Birds). The river Moyar that flows along the border or
Tamil Nadu and Karnataka separates the two. The Indian Forest Department located in
Mudumalai National Park created many wildlife resorts and forest lodges situated in
Mudumalai forest itself. The bird diversity in these habitats is unbelievably rich and is a
welcoming place for bird watchers from far and wide. This park harbours over 200 species of
birds from 48 families and is one of the richest bird areas in the State of Tamilnadu. Some of
the rarely seen Birds of prey like the rufous bellied hawk eagle can be occasionally seen in
this sanctuary. Nights are fascinating especially during the month of April, when the whole
sanctuary is illuminated with millions of glow worms.

From the Field Office of Ooty, the Team of Nature Club along with coordinators
moved to the Mudumalai Wild life Sanctuary and reached there around 4.00 P.M. The
coordinator arranged a trip to inside the forest in a Forest van. It was really a boon for poor
government school children to see the forest in the real sense with real animals in their
natural habitat. They saw peacocks, all varieties of deers, bisons, elephants and birds.
Children had no opportunity to witness any wild animals like tigers, wolf and haena.
However, they were happy seeing some of the animals on their own setting. Mr.Ramalingam,
Ms.Tamilselvi and Dr.V.Krishnan were answering all the questions posed by the students
untiringly and they explained certain scientific terminologies so that students could able to
understand the context better.
 After the trip, we were lodged at Peacock Dormitory located at Mudumalai Wild Life
Sanctuary, Mudumalai with a lot of precautious instruction. A homely and healthy supper
was provided with motherly affection of both the coordinators. Mr.Ramalingam was passing
some hints to the students how to prepare reports using the hints they had been taken during
the journey.

On the second day i.e. 5th August 2010, after breakfast, the active coordinator
Ms.Tamilselvi arranged a visit to a Forest Observatory located at the centre of the forest in a
specially designed van and our children interviewed persons who were on the Observatory
for Night and Day watch about the animals and the Poachers.
 The team walked to the deep-side of the forest with an indepth desire to see any wild
animals on their habitat. As a teacher I told them what I saw in the written slogan in the van
we traveled. “ Seeing animals in the forest is a matter of luck.” However, they had witnessed
group of deers, elephants and Gaurs (Thanks to Ms.Tamilselvi who corrected us saying that
they are not bisons but Gaur).

And then the team moved on Forest Expedition i.e. Trekking in the forest for which
the team was taken to Anaikkatti region, a location of 28 K.M. away from the main unit.
While on the way to trekking, we saw some of the villages and fields surrounded by
Electrified welded Fence, built around it for protecting the people from the wild animals. Our
coordinators and other higher officials justified the fact that we are using animals’ place as
intruders and they are not intruders to our life. Lying roads in the forest area and building
houses and other infrastructure for human facilities will always disturb the animal
settlement. This should be avoided in future. While meeting higher officials, with a
precautionary measure, they denied the permission for trekking which is really dangerous for
school children in the age group of 14-16 and they advised us to go to the centre of the forest
with great care to observe the Biosphere of the Mudumalai. Accordingly, the coordinator
along with two forest rangers took us to Anaikatti forest area where we stayed for more than
3 hours.

Dr.Krishnan, who is an expert in Eco-system gave indepth explanation about the type
of forests and flora and fauna of the forest and MrKalaivanan, Forest vetinary Doctor joined
and explained his views on behaviour and diseases of wild animals. Further he explained how
the research scholors in the forests vediographed the movement of the animals .Students with
binoculars were enjoying sightseeing in the forest with the scholarly information of
Ms.Tamilselvi, the wild life coordinator.

Then around 3.30 P.M the team returned to the Mudumalai Wild Life Sanctuary and
visited a Museum. The Curator of the Museum imparted numerous information to the
students and operated a specially designed electronic instrument to produce various sounds of
birds and animals in the forest. The students had taken a lot of notes and photographs from
the museum for reporting. In the end, we returned to the pavilion of Peacock dormitory for
rest, as the birds and animals do in the forest.
 On the morning of 6th August 2010, the team began the day with complimentary trip to
visit to the forest to see the rest of the animals in the forest. We were accompanied by a
ranger to guide us along with the coordinator. We had a privilege to visit the forest thrice.
Our coordinator arranged a meeting with the Mr. Srivastav, Director of the Muduamalai
Wild Life Sanctuary, Mudumalai who spoke with us the objectives of the Nature Camp and
the reason for inviting school children in detail. Our team members went on asking their
doubts about conservation of wild animals. The students enjoyed his tamil accent which
shows his interest to converse the subject matter in the local language to reach the public
whose cooperation is highly essential. He instructed the forest officials to distribute pamphlets
abundantly to the students to support the importance of conservation. It is highly appreciable
to have seen a poem on Tiger written by the Director and to get it translated into a local
language to publicize the matters for wider reach.

With all the students, teachers and volunteers, the team was taken to the feeding
centre to note down how animals were fed in their sheds. The students were very curious
enough to know the content and nutritional units of the food of the elephants. It was a
memorable scenes to have seen elephant with huge stomach taking nutritional food from the
hands of mahout. And also the team had seen a deserted calf elephant by her mother in the
forest and the forest department had adopted it with great care.
 Saying good bye to the forest officials who were with us warmly and friendly and to
the animals, we started to Filed Office of MWLS in Ooty where we met Mr.Jayachandran,
Hon.Secretary, Nilgiri Wildlife and Environment Association gave important information
about the wild life activities that students can undertake in future and Mr.Sreekumar, with
his power point presentation, highlighted the characteristic features of snakes and its
behaviour and how human beings should look at it differently. His class was thought
provoking and everyone one touched the snake he had in his hand. He carefully removed the
myth of snakes that people of India believe it true. And Mr.Jayaprakash, a noted photo-
journalist, showing a series of pictures of birds and animals discussed the nature of the forests
and behaviour of birds and animals in detail.

The Team of Nature Camp returned to Puducherry after having seen Botanical
Garden of Ooty with a firm belief that this team will surely undertake concerted effort to
conserve wild life in the forest for which they will do some ground works for better
propagation among the school children, parents and the public.

V.Ramalingam
In-Charge
Environment Education Cell
State Training Centre
Directorate of School Education
Pondicherry-605005