Nilgiri Pollution Reserve

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The land of the tiger

The land of the tiger

I always loved the Sigur Region in the middle of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve. People are nice and nature magnificent. You will find here a diversity of traditional cultures, beautiful jungles with tigers and elephants. Still, if you are interested in culture or nature and you envisage to visit this region, think twice.

The jungle is littered with plastics and replete with cattle. Loudspeakers are in all villages (a blatant ignorance Supreme Court orders) blasting their awful popular music up to three kilometers in the jungle, days and nights for weeks. Roads are loaded with speeding, honking or picnicking cars. For a few hundred Rupees (more), your driver can annoy a herd of elephants to make a female charge. You can flash a tiger at night, with the satisfaction that you have endangered this species more, a princely pleasure. Chance is that bonfires will be with forest wood or the “food” (it’s for tourists) you eat in the village has also been cooked with forest wood. If there is left over, you can throw it to an elephant.

If you like responsible ecotourism (I may be tired with continuous “music” for the last few days), wait and see if it improves.

Jean-Philippe Puyravaud

Hall of Fame

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It is an immense honor to announce that E. R. C. Davidar, the founder of the Sigur Nature Trust, has joined eminent foresters and conservationists in the Hall of Fame of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department.The inauguration of the Hall of Fame was organized on the 31st January 2016, in the Panagal Building and inaugurated by Thiru M. S. M. Anandan, the Minister of Environment and Forests, Government of Tamil Nadu, Thiru Hans Raj Verma, I.A.S, Principal Secretary to the Government, Dr. Krishna Kumar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and HOD, and Dr. V. K. Melkani, PCCF and Chief Wildlife Warden.

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has opened a Hall of Fame at its headquarters in Chennai, where photographs and works of legendary forest officers and conservationists have been displayed.The team identified 20 officers and five well-known conservationists.

E.R.C. Davidar is remembered in particular, for undertaking the first survey of the Nilgiri tahr over its entire range, conducting the first study in India on elephant corridors and taking an active part in the protection of the Nilgiris.

Dr. Priya Davidar, Managing Trustee of the Sigur Nature Trust, participated to the inauguration. Following the example set by her father, she recalled that it is imperative to preserve wildlife if our civilization is to survive. In this effort, the involvement of society is crucial, as acknowledged by the Hall of Fame where distinguished foresters are in the company of dedicated citizens.

Times of India has dedicated an article to this event:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Tamil-Nadu-forest-dept-opens-hall-of-fame-in-Chennai/articleshow/50795638.cms

 

Jean-Philippe Puyravaud.