2022
An argument erupted at the start of our journey to Siruvani Dam, but the spirit was only positive. Everybody wanted to drive the only car with us. Reason: a ride through the winding road to the dam site is thrilling, thanks to frequent presence of wild animals in the area. As the debate gained decibels, we thought of tossing the keys up for the catcher to win the driver’s seat. But later we handed over the key to Linish, the only second-timer amid us. And he took us to Siruvani — 40 km from Palakkad.
Our destination was an old building near the Siruvani dam called Pattiyar Bungalow, built by a British officer when he was serving the area. Luck plays a major role when it comes to spotting animals. As Linish negotiated the curves, we sat quite, looking at the desolate hills of the Western Ghats. Soon the hills looked clothed by thick forest. We reached the Bungalow before noon and were lucky to find Rajendran there. Well, the Muthikulam Range DFO had his family too with him. He greeted us with a broad smile.
The Pattiyar Bungalow’s location amid lofty mountains and thick forests offers the visitor a spectacular scenic entrance facing the Siruvani. The water level was low. The sun was up and the forest silent, except for the rustle of bamboo and occasional chirping of birds. As the wind played hide-and-seek, I tried to settle down, watching the sunlight filtering through the canopy. “You know, this inspection bungalow is over a century-old,” Rajendran opened conversation. “It was built under the rule of the British. It’s quite common to see elephants and other animals moving around it.” My eyebrows suddenly went up, and Rajendran seemed to have noticed it. “Stay cool...the trench around the bungalow will guard you.”
I recalled Linish saying that the remains of a plane that crashed during the Second World War can still be seen in the interiors of this forest. “Yes, it’s there,” confirmed the officer, pointing towards the mountain afar. “You have to climb that mountain. Which means you have to trek at least 8 km through the dense forest. But trekking is not permitted now because of the threat from wild animals.”
I was hungry. My lunch was not ready because Suresh, the only caretaker-cum-cook in the Bungalow, was busy with the DFO family. “Sir,” Suresh said apologetically, “I am alone and have to do all work. Please wait for some more time.” Suresh is a Muduga tribal who has taken over the job only recently.
I slowly walked down the reservoir, crossing the trench and following the narrow path leading to the bank. The water in the Siruvani is known for its sweetness and medicinal values. It is actually the main source of drinking water to the nearby Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The elephant dung near the reservoir reminded me of the DFO’s words. The Muthikulam hills are home to a variety of animals and reptiles. Found here are the Nilgiri tahr, wild boar, barking deer, Nilgiri langur, lion-tailed macaque, tiger, leopard, bear, king cobra and some rare species of birds like white-bellied shortwinged and yellow-throated bulbul. Since I was hungry, I couldn’t stay there for long. A quick dip in the reservoir, and I was back in the bungalow. We finally had lunch at 4 pm. My attempt to make a call to my office went futile because of lack of signal. “If you want to make any phone calls, we must go to Kerelamedu,” said Suresh. The forest guard over there was strict. He asked us to park the vehicle near the rest house. “I cannot let you drive beyond this point, as it is an inter-state border we share with Tamil Nadu. Due to frequent quarrels between the states officials, inter-state vehicles are not allowed in this stretch,” he said.
We parked the car near the rest house and began trekking. First seen from atop Kerelamedu was a little Tamil Nadu village called Alandurai. It was getting dark. “(Late) Veerappan used to poach elephants in this range,” said the guard. True, this medu was once a busiest place with Kerala police and Tamil Nadu police camping here for several months on the mission to catch the notorious brigand.
While returning from Kerelamedu, Linish suddenly slowed down at a dangerous curve, sensing a movement ahead us. “It’s the same mozha (tuskless male elephant) who gave me a tough time last week,” said Suresh. Later, he narrated the nightmare. Fear gripped everyone in the car. Friend Sanjith said we should stop the vehicle. But I decided to take a chance. We followed the elephant for almost a mile. But it was not in a mood to stop. “If I had two pegs, I would have definitely encouraged you,” said Suresh in a trembling tone.
At the Bungalow, I tested my cooking skills by preparing a barbecue. Soon after the dinner, I pushed Suresh into the car for a night safari. We drove to the same direction where we left the mozha halfway. Suresh was in a good mood. He revved up into a non-stop talk. “Sir, if you see the mozha again, just stop the car. Both of us will jump out and follow it.” I was busy keeping my camera ready. We drove almost five km through the dense forest but couldn’t trace any elephant. The next morning when I told Suresh about his courage, he did not believe it. A curious smile, though, appeared in his face.
