Now Reading: Chadivayal elephant camp opens to visitors from 16 October
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Chadivayal elephant camp opens to visitors from 16 October
The Forest Department will allow visitors to the Chadivayal elephant camp near Kovai Courtallam waterfall in Coimbatore district from Friday, 16 October. The camp, in the Boluvampatti forest range, currently houses four captive elephants: Muthu, Cauvery, John and Sumangala.
Visitors can enter in two slots, from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., to watch the elephants being fed. Officials said the arrangement mirrors those at Theppakadu elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Kozhikamuthi elephant camp in Anamalai Tiger Reserve.
The tentative entry fee is Rs 20 for children aged five to 12, Rs 30 for those above 12, and free for children under five. The department said the move aims to spread awareness on wildlife conservation among the public and students.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Forest Department opens the Chadivayal camp to the public for the first time, placing captive elephants at the centre of a conservation-education effort. The short visitor slots and nominal fee suggest a pilot programme rather than a full tourism venture. Visitors will see feeding routines similar to those at established camps in Mudumalai and Anamalai, which may ease operational concerns. The move leaves open how the camp will manage crowd impact on the four resident elephants and whether the awareness goal translates into sustained public engagement. The next step is the opening itself on 16 October and the visitor response that follows.
Source: thehindu.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
