Jungle camps including- Aanejhari Butterfly Camp

"Here's your chance to go camping in the wild"

Date:08/07/2010 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2010/07/08/stories/2010070858910100.htm Back Front Page Here's your chance to go camping in the wild Shankar Bennur JLR to set up 10 jungle camps as part of an ecotourism initiative sponsored by the Centre Each camp will have its own educational module Cave explorations, safaris will be part of the package — PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM Close encounters:Tourists can follow butterfly trails or spend nights on machans at the different camps. MYSORE: Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR), a State Government undertaking managed by the Forest Department, will soon set up 10 unique jungle camps in different ecosystems as a part of the Jungle Camps and Trails, a Centre-supported project. “Jungle Camps and Trails (JCT) is a unique ecotourism initiative. Each camp will provide a different ambience. Work on establishing the camps is in progress; they will be ready in two months,” JLR managing director N.T. Tiwari told The Hindu. He said the JCT project was being implemented through the Tourism Department, which had entrusted the work to the Forest Department. “The responsibility of establishing the camps has been given to the respective Deputy Conservators of Forests. Once the camps are ready, they will be handed over to JLR, which will run them,” Mr. Tiwari said. The camps coming up are: Sakrebail Elephant Camp, Kulagi Timber Trails Camp, Anshi Evergreen Camp, Gopinatham Country Camp, Bhagawati Herbal Camp, Seethanadi Herpeto Camp, Aanejhari Butterfly Camp, Muthodi Trogon Camp, Castle Rock Adventure Camp and Jogimatti Trekkers Camp. Accommodation Each camp will have comfortable accommodation units with a distinct eco-theme. Tourists will have options such as cave exploration, hornbill safari, butterfly trail, herbal trail, herpeto-trail, nature walks, machan night-outs, river rafting, forest treks, bird watching and boating in the different camps. Each trail starts and ends at the camps and no two trails overlap, according to information given by JLR. A booklet is being prepared for each trail. Each camp will have a camp-specific eco-education module tailored to suit schoolchildren. One can have close encounters with captive elephants at the Sakrebail camp near Shimoga. The camp also provides other activities such as herbal trail, bird watching, treks and boating. For the hornbill safari, cave exploration and timber trails, enthusiasts can visit Kulagi, about 12 km from the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary. The Anshi Camp, situated in the evergreen Anshi National Park on the Belgaum-Karwar highway, will offer mountain biking, treks and machan night-outs, according to JLR. The Gopinatham Country Camp will provide an opportunity for those who want to walk through territory traversed by the late brigand Veerappan. The camp is coming up at Gopinatham village in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, about 34 km from the Male Mahadeshwara Hills. The camp offers bird watching, nature walks and mountain biking to the Hogenakkal Falls. Reptile hotspot The Seethanadi camp is being developed in the Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary near Hebri town. The sanctuary is known for flying lizards and amphibians. River rafting on the Seeta and nature treks are the activities planned at the camp. The Aanejhari Butterfly Camp is near the famous Kollur Mookambika temple and is the perfect place for learning about butterflies. © Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu