Thepakkadu Elephant Camp, Ooty, Nilgiris
Thepakkadu Elephant Camp is situated near Ooty Hill
Station in Ooty Taluk in Nilgiris District of Tamilnadu. It allows visitors to mingle with
nature’s largest land animal in a restricted environment. Thepakkadu Elephant
Camp that is run by the Tamil Nadu Forest department is a must visit on a trip
to Masinagudi. The Thepakkadu Elephant Camp lies in the vicinity of the
Mudumalai Wildlife Reception Centre.
A small camp existed here since 1910 and was declared an
elephant camp in 1972. The camp area derives its name from the two words,
‘Theppam’ and ‘Kadu’, meaning pond and forest respectively. The camp has a
shrine of Lord Ganesha which is believed to have been constructed during the
1970s. There are now 14 males, six females, two makhnas and two calves.
The camp is being used to take visitors on rides which
will give them a feel of the wild and also monsoon patrolling. Special mention
would be made of Moorthy, a makhna (tuskless male) which has been converted
into a camp elephant from a much-feared killer elephant. The kumkis (working
elephants) do a variety of jobs. Elephants are trained as well as housed in the
Theppakadu Elephant Camp.
Every day, a couple of the elephants do pooja to Lord
Vinayaka inside the structure. Elephant rides are offered early in the morning
as well as the evening at the Theppakadu Elephant Camp. During the evenings,
the elephants have their routine feeding time and visitors are welcome to watch
this. With the visitor count exceeding a lakh per year, the camp serves as an
important educational hub for spreading awareness about the pachyderms.
The Theppakadu Elephant Camp is thus, mainly used for
eco-tourism, patrolling, resolving man-elephant conflicts and promoting
understanding about the animal. A documentary of the park in English language
is screened. The park authorities organize the Elephant Show on Saturday and
Sunday evenings. The elephant race and elephant soccer performed by elephants
are quite popular.
Connectivity
Thepakkadu Elephant Camp is located at about 37 Kms from
Ooty, 37 Kms from Ooty Bus Stand, 37 Kms from Ooty Railway Station, 55 Kms from
Coonoor, 65 Kms from Kotagiri, 86 Kms from Mettupalayam Railway Station, 120
Kms from Coimbatore and 132 Kms from Coimbatore Airport. Private Taxis are
available from Ooty and Coonoor to reach this place.
Location