ANAMALAI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Anamalai, the "Elephant Mountain," is located approximately 400 Kms from Chennai, a small section of this park extends into the bordering state of Kerala. This Wildlife Sanctuary is situated at an altitude of about 5,200 feet, and consists of a forest area spread over roughly 600 square miles. Most of the trees in the forest are teak, though there are some evergreens.

The western ghats are known for their evergreen decidous forests, rain forests and grasslands. Spanning the South Western region of the Indian subcontinent, this area has the largest population of Asiatic Elephants in the world. It is also the setting for one of the most beautiful natural preserves in South India. And it is against this backdrop that the Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, is situated.

Apart from the elephants, some of the creatures found in Anamalai include the Great Pied Hornbill, an incredibly beautiful bird covered in black plumage, with a yellow bill that curves downward, its head is topped with an ivory formation, also known as a casque. It is the largest of the nine hornbill species found on the Indian subcontinent. It can live everywhere, from sea level to heights of nearly 5,000 feet. Its wing spans nearly to five feet, and its tails can measure upto three feet.

Chital - a beautiful breed of deer with their reddish-brown coats dotted with white spots.They almost always congregate only in herds. Their groups are headed by dominant stags, which have huge, branching antlers. They are basically grazers, spending most of their time feeding on grasses.

Lion-tailed Macaque - This species of the Macaque are a unique breed of forest monkeys. On the verge of extinction, this species has a very low reproductive rate. Also they have been unable to adapt to human encroachment into the forest area.

Guar - Nothwithstanding the elephant, the Guar or the Indian bison is one of the largest animals found in Anamalai. A massive creature, the guar has an enormous head and thick, muscular body, with males sometimes standing over six feet tall at the shoulders.

Dhole - this wild dog has an acute sense of smell and hearing that makes it a fierce hunter. A single dhole can bring down an animal as large as a barking deer. They become even more formidable when they hunt in packs, which is often the case. A dhole pack can number 20 animals; the larger the pack, the larger and more dangerous the prey. In fact, packs of the dogs have been known to take down animals as big as the guar.

Nilgiri Langur - Like the lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri langur is an endangered species. Nilgiri langurs live in environments between 3,000 and 7,000 feet, and spend most of their lives in trees. They move in troops of three to 25 members, with each troop run by a single dominant male.

Though the climate is pleasant throught out the year, the best time to visit this place is between February and June, which is the dry season.

Top Slip is a tiny village where you get all tourism information, it has a reception and information centre, guest lodging, a canteen run by a co-operative, a ration shop and the Forest Department's office. Since this is a restricted zone, elephant safaris and jeep rides into the sanctuary are organised by the Forest Department at a nominal cost. One could also take a walk into the jungle with the permission of the Forest Department who send a tribal guide to accompany you.

Distance By road: Coimbatore to Pollachi is 40 kms; Pollachi to Top Slip is around 35 km.

Nearest Airport or Railway : Coimbatore (90 km).

Getting there: By bus Twice a day from Pollachi to Top Slip, 10.30 am and 3 pm. There are two buses a day from Pollachi to the park at 6 am and 3 pm. The bus returns to Pollachi at 8 am and 6 pm. Can hire a taxi from Pollachi for around Rs 500.

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