The government of Kerala has decided to convert a private plot spanning across 4.03 acres between Kerala’s Silent Valley National Park and Tamil Nadu’s Mukkurthy National Park into forest land to combat the gradual decline of elephant corridors in the state. To rewild and restore elephant habitats to establish a secure passage for the majestic pachyderms, the Kerala government aims to develop an elephant corridor that could sustain as many as 340 wild jumbos.
The Kerala Forest Department has issued an order for acquiring the said piece of land (Nedumkayam, Nilambur South Forest Division) falling within the Karulai panchayat of Malappuram.
This piece of land is surrounded by the New Amarambalam Reserved Forest and the Nilambur Elephant Reserve, which serves as a habitat not only for elephants, but also for other animals like tigers, leopards, and Sambar deer.