A day with Elephants in Kottoor Wild Elephant Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre

My dear friend's if you are visiting the wonderful state of Kerala in India, Don't miss this destination which is a paradise for elephant and Wild Nature Lovers 

Date of Travel: February 2012

Location Info:

Location: KappuKad, Trivandrum, Kerala

Lattitude: 8.513459, Longitude: 77.083311
Nearest railway station: Trivandrum Central
Nearest airport: Trivandrum International Airport

Kottoor elephant Rescue & Rehabilitation centre located in Kappukadu near Neyyar Reservoir, which is at a distance of 35 km from Trivandrum city, which is a part of Agastya vanam (forest) biological part lying in Agastya Koodam Hills range. The region with a good forest cover is a heaven for birds and other wildlife, and is marked by tall forest tree species and numerous rivulets and streams. The forest area here is also noted for its rich wealth of medicinal plants, some of which are rare in occurrence. The centre started in 2004 with two baby elephants and currently having +10 elephants.

Entrance Fee: 10 INR for local visitors(100 INR for foreigners)
Timings: 9.30 am to 4.30 pm

Facilities:

• Refreshing walk through dense forests
• Provision of Elephant Safari with the guidance of experienced trainers - Fees 100 INR for local visitors (200 INR for foreigners)
• Awesome view of forest, River side and nearby peaks
• Close interaction with the elephants
• Provision to buy fruits & coconut to feed elephant
• Opportunity to watch elephant Main food feeding & bathing
• Opportunity for overnight stay in traditional bamboo cottages & Log Houses- Fees - 850 INR/night for local visitors (1750 INR. for foreigners)
• Opportunity to learn the tribal settlements
• Traditional canteen serving local food

Restriction/ Warning:

• Monday Is Holiday
• Not allowed to bring food from outside especially for feeding   elephants
• Don't show or bring any food packages or plastic bags near big elephants while feeding, since they may attract thinking the bags are their food.
• Don't go to the river stream without official guides, since dangerous crocodiles are existing

Actually the trip was planned by my brother who was a regular visitor of Agastya Forest range & Biological Park, who is enjoying his own style of semi-professional wild photography & trekking.

We started our trip in the morning from our house. After a 40 min travel, we reached the destination & parked our car. We collected our entry pass from the park entry point. It is an excellent place for nature & Elephant Lovers.

It's a perfect place to enjoy a walk through the wildness & freshness of nature. We can see many birds and butterflies here, a perfect place for bird watchers.

After a small walk through the forest & rubber plantation area, we reached to the Elephant riding point & experience an awesome and ever memorable ride. Here we (my wife & myself) ride over a + 20 year old female elephant (i guess her name was Minnu).

After the very pleasant ride, we reached into the canteen area, where we bought specially cut fruits (water melon, tender coconut, jaggery etc) and enjoy in feeding those fruits to elephants, its the first time which I experienced the softness of an Elephant's tongue.

    

Visitors can get local food & snacks from the Canteen.

Along the way we can see & enjoy Wooden tree houses, tribal Bamboo periwheels and bamboo log houses on the bank of neyyar river

We can see & experience how the trainers are taking care of elephants, to bath & feed them. Before the food, the elephants are taken to the Neyyar reservoir area for bathing them. The view of elephant bathing is a feast to our eyes, to understand how they are enjoying in water, how they are spraying the water with the long nose. Sometimes, the visitors are also allowed to take part in elephant bathing, if the elephant is well trained and friendly.

After bathing, the caretakers will feed them, the food is prepared in a separate shed and the main food for Big elephants consist of 250 kg of coconut/ palm leaves, Rice, Wheat, Banana, Jaggery and For small one's it will be lactogen & Ragi. 

There we got a chance to see a fresh very violent tenant of the centre, who was rescued but badly hurt from some trench inside the forest.

I am recommending you all to visit this awesome place, for a guarantied & ever memorable experience for your family, especially for your kids....Don't forget to visit when ever you are coming to Kerala

Contact address 

Agasthyavanam Biological Park
Kappukadu
Kottoor PO
Trivandrum 695574
PH. 0472 2850953

Your reviews & suggestions are welcomed & highly appreciated..


Thanks & Regards..