1) Is Silent Valley National Park a paradise on the Earth where mother nature reins supreme?
Our Sanctuaries and National Parks are the important relics of the pristine Nature. These places stand out like island paradises in a world being inundated with humans and their artifacts. The significance of protected areas is very high and Silent Valley National Park is no exception. It is really one of the paradises on the Earth. Wherever it is, every tract of unspoilt wilderness of considerable length and breadth is a paradise on the Earth where man can stand in close proximity with the Almighty. The cliché ridden sentimental statements may be excused when said in good faith.
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2) Which is the most convenient time for visiting Silent Valley National Park?
It depends on your approach to Nature, your disposition and the type of visit you are planning. If you look forward to a comparatively hassle free occasion to visit forests when the days are brighter and cloudless, you may choose a time between December and April. But even then there are chances of sudden rain in the mountains. Rain is more or less a regular affair in these parts. It is the rain that nurtures the forests. Generally this is treated as a comfortable and convenient period for a visit to Silent Valley as it offers pleasing weather conditions and high visibility.
But you will miss the Monsoon when the forest is vibrant with every minute facet of wildlife. You will miss the opportunity to marvel at the Kunthi river in its wildest form. You will miss many of the beautiful terrestrial orchids. You will long for the sight of Cullenia tree branches laden with its golden fruits. Above all, you will miss the exhilarating experience of walking in the forest when it rains. But it all depends on your temperament and attitude. For a wildlifer any day is a good day for a walk in the wilderness.
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3) But how will I walk in the Rain forests? It appears like an impregnable green fortress.
Appearances can be deceptive. The closely packed canopy and the copious plant growth on the fringes render this mysteriousness to the evergreen forests. But the interior is very spacious and one feels as if he is inside a great cathedral. It is very overwhelming, serene and silent. It is easier to walk through a tract of rain forest than any other forest habitat. Take any one of the Nature trails in Silent Valley and see it for yourself. Even five year old girls happily complete such inspiring Nature walks.
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4) What is a Nature trail? Isn’t it another trek path?
Nature trail is a convenient device in modern wildlife management to make the sanctuary more useful to the visitor. It is a very effective method for understanding and appreciating Nature without being an intruder in the eco system. It is controlled and purposeful movement along a fixed path. All ecologists use this kind of travel along a path so that they can quantify their observations. A trail of sufficient length will reflect almost all of the resources of that particular forest. It is more or less like a cross section of the habitat you are visiting. The impact of a visitor on the eco system can be minimized or avoided by this method. Every trail is an attended one. An authorized person trained in the particular theme of the trail will accompany you through out the trip and help you in your interaction with Nature.
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5) What should be one’s approach to the National Park during his visit?
The visitor’s approach should be unconditional and less demanding. Many people still harbor a lot of wrong notions about our protected areas. They often fail to distinguish it from a zoological garden. A person should expect meaningful interaction with the wilderness and it should not end up in a frantic search for bigger wild animals. Animal sightings should be taken as part of a wholesome wilderness experience. His visit should be an enjoyable quest for understanding the inter relationships that exist in Nature. He should keep asking questions like what, why, how so that his inquisitiveness will lead him to small and big revelations about the Nature around him which will constantly remind him of his position in the grand scheme of the Creator. Every moment we spend in the wilderness is a stepping stone to a higher plane of understanding.
6) Only a very small percentage of visitors fall in that category. Lions share of them are fun seekers. What will you do for them?
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A sanctuary catering to every whim and fancy of visitors will end up in disaster. Visitors should gradually grow up to our expectations. They should learn how to make use of the sanctuary properly. Most of the protected areas in the state have taken a very serious stand in this matter and several programmes have been designed to create a spirit of conservation by providing the visitors guided exposure to the biological diversity of the protected area. Nature trails and Nature orientation camps are examples to this.
7) Is it possible to see any animals during a Nature trail visit?
Tropical rain forest is well known for its diversity of living organisms which is one of the factors that makes it more important than any other terrestrial habitats. In a rain forest animal diversity far exceeds plant diversity and it is quite natural that you will certainly find many of them on the way. Often this type of forest has a deceptive appearance as it seems to be devoid of different animals. But look closely, you will find an incredible array of different forms of animal life. Most of them have cryptic coloration so that you will fail to notice even the closest one. The one you thought was a leaf is not a leaf at all and the one you took it as a stick is not at a stick indeed. All are animals; the diversity of animals in a forest like Silent Valley is mind boggling.
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8) You misinterpreted my question. Is it possible to see large wild animals?
Well, who is not fond of watching large wild animals? Till recently we used the term “Game” or “Beasts” to represent these major denizens of the forests. Some people are of opinion that the history of our fondness and a seemingly insatiable passion for sighting large animals can be traced back to our pre-historical existence as hunter gatherers. We still retain some of our ancestral traits in a more sublime way.
By large animals we mean different herbivores, carnivores and primates belonging to the class Mammalia which forms a very small percentage of the entire spectrum of wildlife.
Silent Valley National Park is a protected piece of wilderness where any type of manipulation or modification in the primary vegetation is considered taboo. Animals are living in their natural settings displaying all their inherited behaviour patterns. No attempt has ever been made to lure the animals so that visitors can have a ring side view of the animals.
The sightings of large animals depend on several biological factors. Some like Sambar deer, Barking deer, Nilgiri langur are short ranging ones and there are more chances to sight them on your way. A few like Nilgiri tahr and Hanuman Langur are habitat specialists who do not come out of their specific habitat. Lion tailed macaques are long ranging and canopy dwellers. The sighting of them may some times become difficult. The colorful Giant squirrels often do not range far away from their “tree top hut” tucked precariously on a tree branch and one does not often fail to see them. Their characteristic call will give them away easily.
Elephants are landscape animals and are constantly on the move. If your visit coincides with their unpredictable movement patterns, we promise it will be a feast to your eyes. While passing by the side of grass lands scan the area carefully. You may find Gaur or a herd of elephants feeding in their spacious dining hall.
Another place to watch out for animals is keystone species like Cullenia and Fig trees. Some times you may find different species of mammals on a single tree and on the ground.
Carnivores like Tiger, Leopard, Bear etc. are predominantly nocturnal in habit. Their solitary nature coupled with their territorial behaviour make them hard to find.
But the important factor that makes animal sighting difficult in any habitat is the animal’s inherited morphological and behavioural adaptations to make themselves less conspicuous. The rock you saw in the grass land might be a bear, an elephant or a wild boar. Animals become conspicuous when they start moving. The pelt coloration and behaviour of Tiger and Leopards make them literally invisible in the forest. Even if a tiger is standing just a few meters away from you, there is every chance that you will fail to see him. No wonder he is called the phantom of the forests.
One who is over enthusiastic and obsessive about large animal sightings should not forget the cardinal rule prevalent in tropical rain forests. There is an incredible diversity of animal and plant life in such forests but any particular species will always be fewer in number. Diversity and abundance of a single species do not go together.
Here is our suggestion. Walk carefully with all your senses alert. Every moment you spend in the forest is a promising one. Some of you may get the sighting of your life, a big cat with stripes perhaps!
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9) Do wild animals pose any threat to humans?
What a funny question! From time immemorial we humans are the only threat to all forms of life. Our greed and self centered outlook have sent many beautiful creatures in to oblivion. Many have become things of the past and many are on the brink. It is a pity that many of us still consider wild animals a threat to us. The exaggerated yarns of old-time hunters and embellished stories of people living on the fringe of the forest have always painted a distorted picture of wild animals. The sensational story mongers often encouraged such fanciful cock and bull stories about the cruelty of wild animals and the heroism of men who hunted them down. All these concocted tales are far from truth. There have been a deliberate effort to hide the real culprit and it is none other than humans.
It is not advisable to look a wild animal in the eye. But if ever you accidentally have a glimpse of that you will find only one thing there, terror. The presence of human beings terrifies wild animals and their instinctive reaction is to avoid this adversary. Centuries long interaction with humans has taught them that valuable lesson. Thanks to the many ingenious ways we have invented to decimate their population in large numbers and destroy their natural habitats. No wild animal in a natural healthy habitat pose any threat to humans. The gap between the wild and the civilized is very wide and we are absolutely safe if we control our movements and behaviour.
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10) But what about the occurrence of man-elephant conflict in some parts of the state and occasional man slaughter by Tigers and Leopards reported from the northern parts of the country?
Elephants are social animals and they require huge areas and their traditional corridors for meeting their requirements of life. Encroachments, Constructions and cultivation of crops like sugar cane, plantains and cereals on their migration paths have all made life difficult for humans and elephants. Deforestation, cattle grazing and presence of settlements reduced the quality of the habitat. Elephants feel trapped in their own habitat. This leads to frequent human-elephant conflicts bringing casualty on both sides.
In some tiger lands of North India the situation is similar. Deforestation, cattle grazing and spreading of exotic weeds destroyed the quality of the habitat that led to the almost disappearance of natural prey species of tigers and leopards. Predators still survived on cattle that grazed openly. When people started stall feeding, a few of the tigers in desperation resorted to the easiest prey, humans.
The root cause of all man-animal conflict is uncontrolled human interventions in natural habitats. A permanent solution to this dilemma is bringing back Nature in to its former healthy and balanced state. In the changed socio-economic conditions of the country this is a formidable task.
Silent Valley National Park is a far cry from such environmentally degraded areas. It is one of the few tracts of forests in the Southern Western Ghats where Nature is still kept in its pristine conditions. Wild animals behave naturally in a healthy eco system.
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11) By promoting tourism in the park are you not creating disturbances to this healthy eco system? Tourism and its associated perils is becoming a serious social and environmental issue. Should we turn this silent paradise on Earth in to another place for amusement?
We do appreciate your love and concern for our remaining wild places like Silent Valley.
We stubbornly refrain from using the word tourism. Silent Valley National Park and other protected areas are not places for conventional amusement tourism. There are so many other destinations for indulging in such activities.
What we offer in Silent Valley National Park is eco-tourism which has been recognized all over the world as an effective tool in wildlife management to achieve certain specific objectives. Its guiding philosophy, modus operandi and goals are entirely different from the ordinary tourism. Eco-tourism is responsible tourism taking very good care of the aesthetics, bio diversity, environmental and cultural aspects of the place where it is being practiced. The ultimate objective is to ensure the complete protection of the place on a long term point of view.
It lays great stress on education. The education potential of the place is fully tapped. When ecotourism implemented in sanctuaries and National Parks, the protected area turns in to an excellent learning centre to understand and appreciate Nature. What better place is there to learn the noble ways and laws of Nature than Nature itself? Moreover, this is one of the declared objectives of the management of Silent Valley National Park.
Protection of the environment is directly related to people’s awareness. The support and co-operation of a sensitized public is crucial for the success of any conservation programme. Silent Valley National Park which was formed after a decade of long campaign is itself a living example to this truth. Almost all of the stalwarts who led the campaign with missionary zeal were men from various walks of life. It was their constant interaction with the wilderness that engendered in them an intimate passion for wilderness. Their frequent visits and studies in the field inspired them to come forward for the protection of these places. In the present times of urbanization our biodiversity rich country sides are fast depleting and for many people and the budding generation there is limited opportunity to interact with Nature. All protected areas have an important role to fill this gap. The tax payers have a right to enjoy the fruits of conservation. Several suitable education oriented Ecotourism programmes have to be developed in all the protected areas and Silent Valley National Park need not be treated as an exception.
Ecotourism is a money generating activity also. Unlike other forest based industry this is a sustainable work. The money generated from these programmes will help the park dependant communities to find alternative livelihood and moreover their culture which has Nature worship as its corner stone will also be protected.
In the recent past so many private organizations and industrialists have launched large scale tourism ventures in the state all in the name of eco tourism. Whatever most of these business people have done destroyed the culture of many communities. Common people were lured out of their ancestral homes and the back waters, Coastal regions and hill stations were become their play ground. Everything was done in the name of eco tourism but in reality most of them turned out to be conventional tourism displaying all its associated demerits. Government organizations have an important role to play by establishing ideal eco tourism projects so that these will remain as a model for others to emulate. In the present conditions only government agencies can take an initiative in this regard. Eco tourism is like a precision tool in the hands of National Park authorities. It will be used with care and focused attention.
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12) What is the total number of Lion Tailed Macaques in Silent Valley National Park ?
Finding the total number of a wild animal in a forest habitat is not an easy task and it is nearly impossible in many cases. Doing a head count of LTM in a protected area like Silent Valley National Park where the evergreen forests is contiguous is an effort which will bring different result at each attempt . What is often done is finding an index of the population so that it can be compared later. This index may not often give an exact number of individuals in the park. Silent Valley has just acquired its full status as a national park with a buffer zone . As both areas are prime LTM habitats ,new surveys have to be conducted to assess the present situation. Rather than giving you an outdated data we would like to say this; Silent Valley National Park holds a significant population of Lion Tailed Maccaque and as the quality of the habitat is being improved through a high rate of natural regeneration , we expect positive trends in the status of LTM in Silent Valley National Park. The results of new surveys will be posted in due course.
Apart from finding a population estimate, appropriate surveys and monitoring programmes are being designed to find the total number of troops, approximate home range , habitat utilization and other relevant aspects of LTM ecology so as to help the management of Silent Valley National Park. As it is the flagship species of Silent Valley National Park a fool proof system tailor made exclusively for LTM and other arboreal animals is essential.
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13) What is the total number of wild elephants in Silent Valley National Park ?
A protected area of 248 sq km with a pre dominance of large stretches of evergreen forests cannot afford to hold many herds of elephants. In fact Silent Valley National Park does not have any known resident elephant population. Even then it is very important as an elephant country and has been brought under project elephant which is a recognition of its importance in the long term conservation of Asian elephants. Silent Valley National Park becomes significant as an elephant reserve when it is viewed as a part of the large home range of the third largest elephant population in the southern – western ghats namely the Nilgiri unit. Small protected areas when viewed as a part of a large conservation unit becomes more significant than large single protected areas.
Several herds of elephants belonging to different clans utilize Silent Valley habitat. Though we take note of the frequent arrival and habitat utilization of elephants in the park, a total number can be a misleading data.
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