TN bars public from Neelakurinji blooming site to protect wildlife, fragile habitat

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has restricted access to Neelakurinji blooming sites in Gudalur after large crowds flocked to witness the rare 12-year flowering. Officials cited ecological sensitivity, elephant movement, and legal protection, warning against trespassing, flower plucking, and habitat disturbance

Nilgiris: The spectacular blooming of the rare Neelakurinji flower in parts of the Gudalur region has drawn hundreds of visitors over the past few days, prompting the Tamil Nadu Forest Department to restrict public access to the flowering sites.

Officials have warned that the areas where the flowers have bloomed are ecologically sensitive and frequented by wild elephants, making unrestricted visits both environmentally harmful and potentially dangerous.

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Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes Kunthiana), a shrub that flowers only once every 12 years, has blossomed in several locations, including Naadukani, Gudalur, Oosimalai and O’Valley. The rare natural phenomenon has attracted nature enthusiasts, photographers and social media influencers, many of whom have been travelling to the region to capture photographs, selfies and videos of the purple-blue blooms.

Forest officials said the sudden influx of visitors has raised serious concerns about the safety of both people and wildlife. The flowering patches are located inside or close to forested landscapes that serve as important habitats and movement corridors for elephants and other wild animals.

Increased human presence, they said, could disturb wildlife, damage the delicate ecosystem and heighten the risk of human-animal encounters. Naadukani Forest Range Officer Ravi said the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change included Neelakurinji under Schedule III of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, in 2023, providing the plant with legal protection.

He warned that anyone found plucking flowers or damaging the plants could face imprisonment of up to three years, a fine of Rs 25,000, or both. Officials also pointed out that Gudalur is one of Tamil Nadu’s major human-elephant conflict zones, with the flowering sites lying in areas regularly used by elephant herds.

Despite repeated oral warnings issued over the past few days, many visitors continued entering the restricted areas, forcing the department to impose stricter measures to prevent further violations. The Forest Department has appealed to the public to cooperate by avoiding visits to the Neelakurinji blooming sites and respecting the ecological significance of the region.

It has also urged residents and visitors to report any instances of trespassing, flower plucking or damage to the protected plants by contacting the Gudalur Forest Division’s toll-free helpline at 1800-425-4353.