Elephant camps, Siliguri's latest fad for tourists
by Pallav Basu

     Siliguri (West Bengal): A visit to the Gorumara National Park in West Bengal provides a refreshing change from life in the fast lane. These days the newly set up Gorumara elephant camp is attracting many domestic and foreign tourists and all nature lovers. Set amid lush-green foliage at the outskirts of the Gorumara National Park, the special camp has emerged as a novel initiative by the State Forest Department to attract tourists to this land of tea and timber. Elephants of all ages, shapes and sizes welcome the tourists at the camp that was opened earlier this month. If interested, the tourists can give a leisurely bath or feed the pachyderms or simply play with the "babies" of the group. The specially established tree-huts renders an unforgettable experience of being close to nature. "They can see with their own eyes and even have a practical experience also. They can know how we manage the elephants, how we bathe them, how we feed them, and even how we patrol with them. All these are included in the total package," said Tapas Das, Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife Division.

     The camp has come as a boon for the many resident of this area. "Things are a lot better than before. Earlier, we were in the territorial department, where we were assigned plantation of trees. But after felling of trees was banned in the forest area, we were left with nothing. We joined the EDC (Eco Development Committee) and this work has brought back our prosperity," says Inder Pika, a member of the Eco-Development Committee. Cottages have been fitted with modern facilities to provide a comfortable stay for tourists. Officials of the camp said the camp has already earned revenues of about one lakh rupees. Officials said one fourth of the total earnings of the camp would be distributed among the EDC members to uplift their economic condition and make them less dependent on the forest for their day-to-day earnings. The involvement of locals would also help to keep a check on smuggling and poaching in the forest areas.
Nov 2, 2005