Welcome to the jungle

In its first-of-a-kind initiative, Tirupati Wild Life Management Division is organising Jungle Safari as part of `eco-tourism’ at SV National Park. Witness the dense forest, wild animals and birds in action in their natural habitat

Do you want a break from rat race or if you are a nature lover, longing to see the glory of the sylvan forests, then take the Jungle Safari of SV National Park (SVNP), is known for its rich biodiversity, serene lush green forest, which is devoid of any noise or pollution.

Wildlife Management (WLM) Tirupati division introduced three different types of ‘Jungle Safari’ from January 1. The forest trip is organised daily in the morning and evening between 6 am and 8 am and from 4 pm to 6 pm, respectively.

The tours are conducted from three locations – Talakona, which is famous for its scenic beauty and an enchanting waterfall; Pulibonu, a dense forest area on the upper reaches of Kalyani dam, and Mamandru is another thick forest area on the Kadapa and Chittoor border.

The three jungle safari packages provide a superb experience and fabulous memories to carry for life.

The first package covers a distance of 11 km, which starts from Rangampeta to Pulibonu; the second starts from Mamandru to Prakruthi Bata (13 km) and third from Talakona to Siddalagandi project (9 km) at Chamala forest range.

The trip at Rangampet Forest Station, which is 20 km from the Temple City, took off at 4 in the evening on a 12-seater vehicle towards Pulibonu forest point with a group of tourists and nature lovers from Bangalore and Chennai.

After half-an-hour trundling around the Kalyanidyam reservoir the vehicle moved ahead into the thick jungle and here the visitors were thrilled as a herd of spotted deer sped away into thickets of the forest after seeing the intruders while many more other species of deer were also seen galloping and crisscrossing through the ride.

At the safari ending point Pulibonu, the group cheered after spotting a langur, with an unbending long tail and its was playing merrily. In return, the tourists had a wonderful experience with chirping birds coupled with wild boars snorting while running away, breaking the eerie silence.
The two-hour fantastic jungle safari ended with the return to the base in chilled air of half darkness.

Pulibonu: The centre of attraction
Pulibonu, which is located in deep forest, is 11 km away from Rangampeta and it is the main attraction of the Jungle Safari. A WLM base camp and watchtower has a small water body of natural minerals is also here between the valley of Tirumala Hills.

Lavish greenery
The entire safari of Pulibonu forest area is a visual delight with lush and vibrant greenery, tall trees of varies species scaling up to a height of 50-60 feet and wide with branches spread out makes the view incredible. The forest boasts of having red sanders, bamboo, mustikayala, regikaylu, karakkaya, neredu, Henry, etakayalu, srigandham and flower plants, in abundance.

British chimneys
The forest has four chimneys, which were made by the British. Sharing about these chimneys Sriramulu, Bakarapet DRO said, “These four chimneys are made of cement and they remain as a memory of the bygone British era of 18th century. They were used for burning confidential documents and other secret records.”

Forest Range officer Ragunath’s brief account of SVNP flora and fauna at break time makes the trip more interesting. He said that the safari is also to educate and create awareness among the people on in favour of eco-friendly atmosphere.

The jungle safari also ensures the safety of the visitors with armed forest guards, who accompany the visitors venturing into the forest.

TV Subbareddy, DFO, WLM, Tirupati, said that they would consider extending the safari to cover night stay and providing breakfast, lunch and dinner in the forest if the response is good.

“The Jungle Safari also envisages curtailing the red sander smuggling, which will naturally come down with the public movement deterring smugglers,” he averred.

A couple, G Hemlatha and Kumar Rao, hailing from Bangalore said that it’s an extraordinary experience.

“It is different from other routine tours. This Jungle Safari is a special experience to us. We spent time more than two hours in the thick dense forest and saw the wonders of nature. Greenery in the forest, especially the red sanders is a visual treat.”

By: K Nethaji