Spotting the elusive Malabar Giant SquirrelTrekking through the dense forests of Kurumba village on the foothillsof the Nilagiri or Blue Mountains on the foothills of Conoor and Ooty isa thrill a minute experience.One of the must see attractions after the novelty of the greenery andpleasant eather have orn o! is an early morning trek through thetropical rainforests to spot the elusive Malabar "iant #$uirrel that livein the deep interiors of the %ungle. &ocated near the Kurumba 'illage(esort)these thick evergreen tropicalforests can be reached after ato hour trek on foot at a leisurely pace. *xperienced trekkers can dothe trek in one hour. The ildlife around Kurumba 'illage (esort is arichtreasuretroveandafascinatingindoontheanimal orld.+ome to innumerable varieties of birds and animals like the elephant)the gaur and the bison) Kurumba forests are a ildlife lover,s delight.*ach bird in the forest represents a living proof of being sculpted bynature,s hidden hand. -s you complete the .rst kilometer of the trek)one .nds oneself moving through di!erent shades of green. One has toclimb steadily during this uphill trek but the trek is moderate. -fter thirty minutes) one comes across a board announcing that one isenteringtheforestreserve. /romhere) onetreksalongamudpathhichindsitsaythroughthedensevegetationandgiant trees.One can see several long0tailed maca$ues either ildly singing fromtrees or darting through the ilderness. - fe adventurous one,s comeclose but scamper aay to safety. #everal bird species including thered hiskered bulbul) the Malabar 1histling Thrush) the ood pigeon)the bron headedbarbet andthe hill myna can be seen 2ittingamongst the trees or perched on treetops during one,s trek. -s onepenetratesdeeper intotheforests) thegrasslandsgiveaytodrythorny scrub. -fter crossing this) one can .nd a small mountain streamand a fe isolated caves.One pauses to recharge oneself by drinkingthepuremountainstreamater andmeditateinsidethecavetomentally prepare oneself for the arduous trek ahead. 3ou ill befascinatedbythenumber andvarietyof birdsthat canbespottedduring one,s uphill so%ourn.#oon) one .nds oneself in thee midst of giant trees hich have stoodundisturbedovercenturiesintheinteriorsoftheNilagiri +ills. 4riedleaves carpet the forest 2oor as far as eye can see and meditating on abed of dried leaves hile lying supine on the forest frloor listening tothe %ungle sounds puts one into a mild trance. 5t is indeed one of theclosest experiences one can have ith nature.-mong the giant trees) the tree that stands out is a Nagapushpam treehose2oer resemblesashivalinghichisguardedbyahoodedcobra. +ugging the ide trunk of this giant Nagapushpam tree hilebaskinginits ancient energyauraas are%uvenatingexperience.-longside the Nagapushpam tree stands a giant .r) pine and poplartree) surrounded by other large trees. #pending time inside this sacredgrove as invaluable.-fter onespendsanhour restingunder thecanopyof thesetreesen%oyingthepeaceful ambience) serenity) calmness) $uietness andtran$uility inside the forest) one prepares for the return trek along thesame path. The return trek is donhill and can be completed in aboutan hour. One sights fresh elephant dung during the return trek. #o on alucky day one can come face to face ith the Nilagiri elephant. 4uringthe return along the placid aters of the translucent mountain streamsthat 2ank both sides of one,s bridle path) one hears rustling bushes)hich indicate the presence of the Malabar "iant #$uirrel.+oever) spotting the elusive s$uirrel is not so easy. They scatter aayin defence at the sound of the approaching footsteps. - more relaxedtechni$uetospot thesegentlecreaturesistositunderthetreeinsilence. Nature alays reards patience. One has to ait for an hourunder the tree for the arrival of this delicate darling. /eeding ofs$uirrels is neither advisable nor expected. #oon) one can see the furrytail on the branches near one,s tree. -fter keenly observing theenvironment) it s$ueaks and disappears by %umping onto the ad%acenttree. Capturing the Malabar "iant #$uirrel on one,s digital camera is astupendous achievement. Onegets onlyafractionof asecondtocapture it on one,s camera. 5f the timing is not right) one gets only asmall partof itsbushytail ortorso. "iantmonitorli6ardsroamtheNilagiris as did their ancestors during a thousand years ago. There areancient species of palms that are endemic to the limestone formationsaround these forests. These palms have been around for 7888 years)andpalaeontologistsbelievedinosaursfedonthem. Theother rarespecies of palm that can be found here is the bamboo plant) hich ismuch sought after by Chinese) as they believe it brings in prosperity)hen planted in one,s garden. One might see the Malabar +ornbill too)if one is fortunate enough.How to get there:The nearest international airport to reach Kurumba (esort is atChennai. There are severaloptions for 5ndian tourists to get to Ootyfrom Chennai.By bus: The easiest ay to get to Kurumba (esort from Chennai is by bus. This788 km. trip takes 9: hours. By train:Thereareseveral trainsavailabletoCoimbatorefromall over5ndia.Kurumba 'illage (esort is a 78 km. drive from Coimbatore #tation andOoty is located :; km. aay from Kurumba 'illage (esort. Where to stay?Kurumba 'illage (esort is an ideal place to stay. 5t is a value for moneyproposition by 5ndian standards during 4ecember to /ebruary hich isaloseason. -standarddouble0roomcostsapproximately. (s..3oung5ndian couplesandfamiliesfromBangalore) Chennai and+yderabadfre$uent this eco0friendlyresort at this timeof theyear. Therooms arespacious andcancomfortably accommodateafamilyof four =ithextra beds>. Thebathrooms are comfortable ith hot ater shoers.Where to eat?/e small restaurants serving pure vegetarian #outh 5ndian cuisine dotOoty. /reshly steamed potatoes ith coconut milk) served ith stringhoppers) is a local dish hich melts in the mouth. Boiled lentils =dal>ithginger andcurry leaves areservedithboiledhitericeatKurumba 'illage (esort. The food at the high pro.le restaurants is onlyfor the gastronomically adventurous ho like greasy food 2oating in oil./reshfruitsincludingmangoes) tender0coconuts) bananasand%ack0fruits are available at the local market.?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Murli Menon) isatravel riter) stressmanagement consultant andauthor basedat -hmedabad) 5ndia. +eis theauthor of"ZeNLP-Learning through stories"published by The 1ritten 1ord @ublications)"ZeNLP-thepower tosucceed"publishedby#agepublications andZeNLP-the power to relax by Ne 4an @ress. +e can be reached atceoAtipsBceos.com?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Courier paymentsCpublished maga6ine author copies toDMurli Menon*C78:) Borsali -ptEKhanpur-hmedabad0:F8889@honeD8G