Protected Areas · Long read · 12 min read

Parambikulam Tiger Reserve: Teak, Tramways and Tribal Guardians

A valley ringed by hills, with three reservoirs, a 450-year-old teak tree and the remains of a forest tramway. Parambikulam is one of India's best-managed tiger reserves, and a model of conservation led by its indigenous communities.

By GK Global, Adimali, Munnar · Trails & Tales by GK

Parambikulam is a hidden valley. Surrounded on all sides by hills, it can only be reached by road through Tamil Nadu, across the Anamalai Tiger Reserve. Inside, three reservoirs shine among forested hills; herds of gaur graze on the marshy grasslands; and in a grove of old teak stands one of the most famous trees in India.

Forests, teak and a tramway

The forests of Parambikulam were long valued for their timber. In the early twentieth century, the Maharaja of Cochin built the Cochin State Forest Tramway, a metre-gauge line of nearly 80 km that ran from Chalakudy through the forest, with steep inclines, to carry teak and rosewood to the port of Cochin for export. Much of the labour was provided by local people, including the Kadar. The tramway operated from 1907 until the mid-twentieth century; its remains can still be traced in the forest.

Large areas of natural forest were replaced by teak plantations, some of which survive inside the reserve. But one giant was spared: the Kannimara teak, believed to be more than 450 years old, about 48.5 m tall and with a girth of about 6.6 m. According to local tradition, when woodcutters tried to fell it, the tree bled, and it was left standing. The Kadar and other communities revere it, and it received the Government of India's Mahavriksha Puraskar in 1994–95.

Dams and water

In the 1950s and 1960s, three dams were built in the valley as part of the Parambikulam–Aliyar Project, an interstate scheme between Kerala and Tamil Nadu to divert water to the plains of Coimbatore: the Parambikulam, Thunakadavu and Peruvaripallam reservoirs, covering about 21 km². A tunnel links the Parambikulam and Thunakadavu reservoirs. The reservoirs flooded valley forest, but they are now part of the landscape, attracting elephants, gaur, otters and water birds.

Wildlife

Parambikulam has a remarkable range of habitats: evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist and dry deciduous forest, sholas and montane grasslands on the hills, and marshy grasslands called vayals in the valleys. More than 1,800 species of flowering plants have been recorded, of which about a quarter are endemic to the Western Ghats.

The reserve has been called the stronghold of the gaur in Kerala; large herds graze the vayals. Other mammals include tigers, leopards, elephants, dholes, sloth bears, sambar, spotted deer, lion-tailed macaques, Nilgiri langurs and Nilgiri tahr on the high cliffs. Hundreds of species of birds, including the great and Malabar grey hornbills, as well as many reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects have been recorded. Several species are known only from here, such as the Parambikulam frog.

Tribal guardians

Four indigenous communities, the Kadar, Malasar, Mala Malasar and Muduvar, live in settlements within the reserve. Parambikulam has become known for involving them in conservation and tourism. Members of these communities work as protection watchers and in the Social Tiger Protection Force, and eco-development committees run guided treks, safaris, bamboo rafting and accommodation, with income going to the communities. The reserve has received national awards for its management and ecotourism, and has been rated among the best-managed tiger reserves in India.

Challenges

• Connectivity: the links between Parambikulam and other forests in Kerala are weak, and need restoration.
• Fire, invasive plants and old plantations, which reduce food for wildlife.
• Tourism pressure and demands for new roads.
• Quarrying and development on the edges of the landscape.