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Konni, a major eco-tourism centre situated in Pathanamthitta, with many attractions like elephant kraal and an elephant training centre will soon get a facelift. The Forest Department has decided to launch the second phase development of the eco-tourism project in association with the Tourism Department.
The nine-acre elephant kraal is now a base station facilitating various eco-tourism activities in the region. The construction of a compound wall, proper lighting of the elephant camp and streamlining elephant safari with a view to attracting more tourists are the main projects included in the second phase.
A butterfly park and a conservatory museum are also included in the project. The butterfly park will be enclosed in a polycarbonate dome suitably designed for weather control. This eco-tourism initiative will also have a breeding house, which will feature all the phases in the life cycle of a butterfly, right from the pupa stage to the full-grown adult stage.
With the aim of creating awareness on biodiversity, there would be an audio-visual room and also a breeding house displaying the metamorphosis of a butterfly.
As part of the project, the department is planning to convert an old inspection bungalow situated on the banks of the Achencoil River in the forests at Naduvathumoozhy into a Heritage Interpretation Centre. Plans for building tree-top huts, organising jungle treks, rock climbing and river rafting at the elephant camp to attract more tourists have also been included in the second phase.
The elephant camp at Konni at present houses modern elephant shelters, elephant kraal, photo gallery, biogas plant, retiring rooms for mahouts and shops for selling ethnic products.
