We are unable to spot the squirrel, but the ranger and the forest guard tried their best to enlighten us on the lifestyle of this elusive little thing that they are so seriously protecting. This is one of the four species of giant arboreal squirrels (Ratufa macroura), also seen in Sri Lanka. In the 1920s and 1930s, it inhabited the forests of Dharmapuri, Salem, Attur, Pollachi, Palani and Srivilliputtur in Tamil Nadu and Chinnar Valley in Kerala. Today, it is seen only in Pollachi, Palani, Srivilliputtur and Chinnar Valley. In Srivilliputtur, it is restricted to seven riverine forests, and the Alagarkoil valley area is home to over half its population.

The grizzled giant squirrel in India is about 73.5 cm long (the size of a cat) and weighs 1 kg to 1.8 kg. The tail extends 36.6 cm. Both the tail and the dorsal surface are grey or brownish grey and grizzled with white. The female gives birth to a single young once a year. The population growth rate in Alagarkoil is only 3.5 per cent.

As soon as day breaks, the squirrel emerges from its drey (nest) and starts looking for food. Feeding is the most important activity from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and again from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. It feeds mostly on fruits, but if there’s a shortage, it settles for tender leaves and seeds. Tamarind is the staple food tree in Alagarkoil. It is also known to feed on the vagai tree, the usil, naval, neer maruthu, thani, mango and even neem. The Srivilliputtur forests, spread over altitudes between 100 mt and 2010 mt receive both the south-west and the north-east monsoons, these topographic conditions induce the growth of tropical evergreen forests alongside dry teak, mixed deciduous and dry grasslands. This is where the grizzled giant squirrel thrives.

The animal builds its drey on forked branches where the crowns of neighbouring trees meet. This makes passage from one tree to another easy. Each squirrel usually constructs two nests. The predators are the serpent eagle, hawk and the black eagle. Though it is the highlight of the sanctuary, there are other animals on the warden’s “protected” list: the Nilgiri tahr, Nilgiri langur, bonnet macaque, slender loris, sloth bear, the Indian giant squirrel, the flying squirrel, tiger, leopard, spotted deer, barking deer, wild boar, gaurs, sambar and hornbill.

Some of the conservation measures taken by the forest department are: stopping annual leases for the collection of minor forest produce, planting of fruit-bearing and other trees, and educating villagers about the importance of wildlife.

Tamil Nadu tourism has geared up to promote 3,000 acres of backwaters and mangrove in Pitchavaram.

Backyard of the Bay

If you thought only Kerala had backwaters shrouded in mist and mystiqe, Tamil Nadu is all set to prove you wrong. At Pitchavaram, just 16 km south-east of Chidambaram, more than two dozen varieties of mangrove grow in wild abandon on scores of islands in the sprawling backwaters.

These waters are interconnected by the Vellar and Kollidam drainage system and the area is separated from the sea by a sand bar of exquisite beauty. A botanist would be particularly interested in rare mangrove varieties like Avicennia and Rhizophora that thrive here and an ornithologist would delight in the sight of watershipes, cormorants, egrets, stocks, herons, spoonbills and pelicans.

There are hardly any foreign tourists in Pitchavaram. It is mainly the locals who keep the boating business alive. The entire backwater zone has been included in the “eco-tourism” circuit and, therefore, motor boats are banned here. A fleet of 20 rowing boats, each of which can accommodate up to five people, take visitors around the mangrove forests. The charge for an hour-long trip is only Rs 5. The boatmen do brisk business during weekends when up to 2,000 locals turn up.

As we gingerly step into a boat, negotiating the muddy bank, boatman Gopala laughs: “Don’t worry, the water is only five-feet deep even at high tide. There is no chance of sinking.” The current is mild, so you could only end up caked with mud! We watch some fishermen standing in chest-deep water, casting their nets. As the boat rows past green, wet banks, cranes and kingfishers fearlessly fly past with fish in their beaks. The breathing roots of the mangrove are visible as the tide is low, and at places the water lanes are so narrow that you have to lift the branches up and make way for the boat. It’s quiet all around, except when the oars lap the waters or the water bird calls. The sea is four hours downstream by the slow moving boat.

The Arignar Anna Tourist Complex of the Tamil Nadu Tourism Corporation houses cottages, a youth hostel and a restaurant at Pitchavaram. Alternatively, you could make arrangements for the night at Chidambaram. Pitchavaram, however, faces acute drinking water shortage. It depends entirely on tube-well water brought in from nearby villages. As a rather poetically inclined cook at Hotel Tamil Nadu remarked: “There is water everywhere in these backwaters, but not a drop to drink.”

Another reason that keeps tourists away is the poor road. The black top is mostly gone, and the potholes could deter even the die-hard adventurer. It is barely enough for one medium-sized vehicle, so you are in a spot if you have to make space for yet another vehicle coming from the opposite direction.

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