Ajayan
“Tiger, tiger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?”
These immortal lines from William Blake’s The Tyger conjure an image at once awe-inspiring and terrifying—a creature of untamed beauty, prowling the shadowed depths of the forest with both majesty and menace. In the verdant landscapes of Kerala, one of the tiger’s most cherished homes—the Periyar Tiger Reserve—celebrates a remarkable milestone: seventy-five years of conservation and ecological stewardship.
As the oldest national park in Kerala, PTR commands a place of pride on India’s green map. Mist-clad hills and dense evergreen forests embrace its expanse of 925 sqkm, offering sanctuary not only to the regal tiger but to a rich web of life where elephants, birds, and myriad creatures thrive in harmony.
Yet, the reserve’s origins lie not in the realm of wildlife conservation but in a feat of engineering; the construction of the Mullaperiyar Dam in the late 19th century. This monumental structure reshaped the landscape, creating the conditions for the forests and wildlife that would later flourish, even as it became a point of political and environmental debate due to ongoing safety concerns.
Today, PTR is celebrated for its near-zero poaching record, a testament to decades of relentless effort by dedicated forest officials. Yet, in its formative years, the struggle was grueling. Veterans recall a forest that was as much shadowed by danger as it was alive with promise. OP Kaler, a senior official who served for years in Thekkady, remembers poaching as an ever-present spectre, while trust, between officials and forest communities, was far harder to secure. The forest’s custodians, its tribal communities, initially viewed outsiders with suspicion, their intimate knowledge of the terrain making them indispensable yet wary allies. Slowly, alliances formed. So profound was this bond that even reformed poachers became sentinels against their former comrades, a delicate union of trust and vigilance.
When support from the World Wide Fund for Nature was offered, the request was modest, aimed at catalyzing progress - rations for tribal communities and a speedboat for patrol and passage, recalls Kaler. Even such simple provisions nurtured a larger cause. He never minced words in his reports that blasted vested interests, who sought to commodify the forest’s pristine beauty. And finally steadfast conservationism prevailed.
It was also in PTR that the revolutionary idea of participatory forest management took root in Kerala. PN Unnikrishnan, a pioneer in the programme, recalls how involving tribal communities as active partners transformed conservation efforts. Recognizing these tribespeople as the true custodians of the forest, rather than mere inhabitants, the initiative leveraged their deep ecological knowledge. The establishment of Eco-Development Committees (EDCs), supported by the World Bank, further strengthened this collaborative approach.
Sivadas, a retired officer who served multiple tenures at PTR, recalls a time when the tribal community, the forest’s true inhabitants, stayed away because of fear, mistrust and the looming threat of arrest. Reaching them was an arduous task; winning their faith, even tougher. Yet, when dialogue finally blossomed, a quiet truth emerged: the forest communities were willing to abandon poaching, if only they were offered a dignified livelihood. Early efforts faltered, promises remained unfulfilled and though poaching waned briefly, old habits soon returned. It was only in his final tenure at the start of 2000 that hope took root. With the assurance of inclusion and livelihood within the forest framework, transformation unfolded. The very communities once estranged became vigilant custodians - so attuned to the forest rhythms that even the faintest deviation, a missing member, would set in motion a silent pursuit, uncovering links to poaching. Thus, from mistrust arose stewardship, and from distance, an enduring alliance with the forest.
The creation of 18 EDCs across PTR marked a decisive turning point. The forest was no longer a domain merely inhabited - it became a realm actively protected and celebrated by its people. Villages participated in patrols, guided tourists, and nurtured the young minds into a culture of conservation.
Sivadas fondly recalls a poignant moment at Vanchivayal: months after a children’s conservation camp, mothers shared an unusual “complaint”. Their children, once adept at hunting birds and squirrels with bamboo bows, now refused to harm any creature, even venomous snakes in their huts, instead teaching elders the sanctity of life - a gentle rebellion of innocence, a triumph of conservation.
The women of these communities, inspired by the zeal of their husbands and brothers, soon joined the cause. Volunteering during free hours, they patrolled forests, especially sandalwood ones, and quietly grew over years and became Vasanta Sena, now vigilant sentinels at PTR’s gateways and other forests in the State.
With the recognition of PTR, the narrative of forest management underwent a profound shift - from a timber-centric to a vision following the delicate art of wildlife conservation, remembers VK Uniyal. Forests were no longer mere reservoirs of wood, but living realms to be understood through the eyes of a tiger, an elephant or a bird, said Uniyal, who once served as Field Director of PTR and now lectures at the Wildlife Institute of India. He reflects with quiet enthusiasm on his early years in Kerala’s forests, beginning in 1984. With characteristic humility, he credits the collective toil of many unsung hands whose dedication transformed PTR into one of the country’s most distinguished tiger reserves.
Participatory management bore tangible fruits. Pepper cultivation in PTR’s hamlets, particularly in Vanchivayal, became a sustainable livelihood. Organic pepper from these lands now crosses oceans, carrying the forest’s bounty to distant shores. Simon Francis, retired after years of guiding communities in Mannakudy, Paliyakudy, and Vanchivayal, remembers fostering these initiatives with warmth, seeing livelihoods bloom alongside conservation.
Among PTR’s many heroes, some names are etched in institutional memory – Kaler, Unniyal, Amit Mallick, Bennichan Thomas, Sanjayan Kumar, Simon and the present Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod G Krishnan. Yet the pulse of PTR was perhaps differently embodied by Pachakkad Kannan, a watcher, a boatman, a guide whose life became inseparable from the forest. Clad in green, Kannan led scientists, conservationists and curious travellers through PTR’s depths for 37 years. His bond with the forest was instinctive, almost elemental. This author recalls him, even in fading light, rowing silently across the waters, pausing only briefly to say a hello as he had got wind of this visit, before returning to his task; preparing salt pits laced with herbs for elephants expected at dusk. It was just a few months before his passing in 2016. Kannan always remained inseparable from the forest. Architects of PTR speak of his quiet, tireless dedication with reverence, for in his life was reflected the soul of PTR itself; resilient, watchful and profoundly alive.
Today, PTR continues its journey of vigilance and stewardship. PU Saju, Deputy Director, notes that the third phase of the All-India Tiger Estimation 2025–26 is under way, a critical exercise to assess tiger populations nationwide. Current estimates place 32–37 tigers within PTR, alongside roughly 1,300 elephants, with the forthcoming data poised to offer a clearer picture of the reserve’s thriving fauna.
Saju, proud to serve during PTR’s Diamond Jubilee, acknowledges that the reserve’s enduring success is the fruit of decades of relentless dedication, not only of forest officers past and present but also of the native communities whose intimate knowledge and unwavering stewardship have sustained this sanctuary through generations. As PTR moves forward, it stands as a living testament to what collaboration, trust, and reverence for nature can achieve; a forest where tigers roam freely, communities flourish and the spirit of the wild remains untamed.
