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Experiential tourism that fosters a deeper understanding between visitors to the forests and local communities needs to be explored, says Moinudheen, if the “character” of tourism is to change. The government should look into establishing mechanisms whereby wildlife biologists are allowed to be employed or given clearance to work in specified areas, to raise awareness among the public about local biodiversity, and the impact of human activities on local environments. “People who visit these places should leave with a greater sense of urgency to protect their own green spaces back home,” he says.

Journalist M. Mohan, a resident of Valparai, another popular hill station in the Western Ghats, around 100 km from Coimbatore, says that the ongoing summer is the hottest period ever undergone in the region. “Vaparai received sporadic summer showers even in 2023. But this year, it has rained only once so far, for just half an hour,” he says.

T.R. Shankar Raman, wildlife scientist with the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) stationed at Valparai, says that climate change is increasing extreme weather events such as severe storms. “There is a serious risk to human life and the environment from excessive construction on the steep slopes in Valparai town. Road widening, scraping of slopes and concretisation increase risk of landslides and act as heat traps leading to damage and desiccation of nearby forest vegetation,” he says.

According to him, data from other areas indicates forest trees and many wildlife species are succumbing to heat stress and this can lead to a decline of forests and wildlife. “We think something similar is happening in the Anaimalai Hills too and are looking into it as part of our research,” says Raman.

(With inputs from Wilson Thomas in Coimbatore)