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Where the Jungle Meets the Tea
The bare stone of Anamudi Peak, the tallest mountain in the Western Ghats of South India, rises up from the jungles of Eravikulam National Park and the surrounding tea plantations.
When you think of India, what do you think of first?
I think of colour and culture and chaos and crowds.
Kerala, in the southwest is all that. But, it is also impossibly green hill stations in the foothills, countless rivers and waterways in the valleys, and the rugged mountains of the Western Ghats higher up.
Many of these wild landscapes are protected – even when people live within them, or next to them. Eravikulam National Park, home to leopards, tigers, and countless birds and other animals, was the first national park established in Kerala. The contiguous Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary helps in the conservation and protection of forests and wildlife in the mountains. The town of Marayoor sits on the road that links the parks, and 11 traditional ethnic tribal settlements are scattered inside the boundaries of Chinnar.
I didn’t see any of the cats, elephants, or gaur that the region is known for on my park-ranger supervised trek through the grasslands, shrublands, and forests of Eravikulam National Park, or on my foray into the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. I did find deer, chital, and monkeys around the settlements outside the park.
I was staying near the town of Munnar, in Kerala, South India, and – with the help of GoogleMaps and TripAdvisor – had lined up various excursions for myself and my driver (see: Water in the Valleys; Tea in the Mountains). On this particular day, we headed north out of the foothills and higher into the mountains, where every shade of green was represented in the sprawling vistas.
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View over the Adjacent Tea Plantation
It was only a short drive from my resort, which was surrounded by tea plantations, to the entry to Eravikulam National Park. There, more tea bushes stand between us and Anamudi: India’s tallest peak (2,695 metres – 8,842 ft) outside the Himalaya.
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Orange Cymbidium Orchid
Above the car park, a glasshouse contains a huge variety of beautiful orchids.
Pink Cymbidium Orchid
I spend some time admiring the flowers before we set off into the park itself.
Nilgiri Tahr Statues
Eravikulam National Park is a haven for Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius), a mountain goat endemic to the Western Ghats. The statues at the park entry were the only trace we saw of these endangered animals.
Trekking Route
One is not allowed to set out into the park alone. For a small fee (plus extra for the cameras), I went on a walk with a forest ranger and a couple of young Indian newlyweds. We started on a path that follows the boundary between the park and the bordering Kallar Estate tea plantation.
Rocky Pool
Before long, we turn in towards a pond, which was complete with a small waterfall.
Rocky Creekside
Upstream from the rockpool, a trickle of water works its way through a tangle of trees in the moist deciduous forests.
Blue Corn-Lilies – Aristea Ecklonii
Originally from Africa, these small evergreen perennials are now common in South India.
Anamudi Peak Rising from the Tea
Anamudi means “elephant head,” which the bare peak sometimes resembles – although it looks different from every angle.
Slipper Flower – Calceolaria
Two types of yellow slippers grow here; I can’t tell them apart.
Waterfall of Uncertain Name
A short walk away, we come to a steep rock face. One name I’ve been given for this falls is Anamudi Peak Waterfall; another is Eravikulam National Park Waterfalls. My phone told me it was Nyayamakad Waterfall – but that is on the other side of the road.
Rocks and Reflections
It is a dry season: there is not much water tumbling down the drop into the pond below.
People Along The Way
The newlyweds dip their feet and pose on the rocks.
Park Guard
Our guide is happy to face the camera in the bright sunshine.
Over the Hills of Munnar
The views from the trekking path stretch out over the tea gardens of Munnar and the foothills of the Western Ghats.
Path through the Tea
Anamudi Peak behind the Tea
Rocky Creek through the Tea
Textures are everywhere …
Munnar Tea and Mountains
… and every shade of green is represented.
Indian Jungle
Back in the car, we drive north through the Marayoor Sandalwood Forest …
Sambar Deer – Rusa Unicolor
… where deer can be seen foraging behind the fence that keeps us out, and them off the road.
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
We continue north into the montane rain forest, where we fail to catch sight of any of the 28 mammal species that make their homes here. We did have nice views over the Western Ghats and Toovanam Waterfall.
Park Attendants
Back in the town of Marayoor, we stop into the Rahjiv Gandhi Nature Park, where there are plenty of cheeky monkeys, and families with small children. I have a chat with the young women at the entry.
Tall Tree Trunks
Starting from the original natural forest here, the State Forest Department runs a ‘Sandalwood Regeneration Experimental Plot’ in Marayoor. Sandalwood trees rely on other plants for nutrients during their first ten years, which might explain why there appear to be banyans in the grove.
Cooking Lunch
Finally! My driver takes pity on me and finds a local restaurant for a very late lunch.
Food on a Banana Leaf
Although lunch is whatever happens to be cooking on the day and is served on a banana leaf, they did take pity on me and find me a spoon.
Axis Deer – Axis Axis
Daylight is falling. Finally some wildlife comes out! A number of chital – small spotted deer – cross the road skittishly in front of us.
Bonnet Macaque – Macaca Radiata
The monkeys are far less timid, and go about their business.
Raising the Boom Gate
Late in the afternoon, an attendant raises the barrier to let us out of the contiguous parks and villages within them.
I’m always amazed by the amount of bird and other wildlife to be found in India’s urban spaces.
I am equally impressed by the great swathes of land the country has managed to set aside and protect – even when that means most of the wildlife there stays hidden!
Until next time!
Photos: 06February2023
