THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Konni Elephant Sanctuary, the first elephant museum in the country, is swarming with visitors. Those who have been fascinated by the elephants can now get to know the giant creatures better. The museum has a wealth of elephant knowledge. There are also pictures that show how the elephant mind interacts with nature, humans, birds and other animals.

The elephant thing
The mural painting of elephants welcomes everyone to the museum. Pictures depicting the origin and evolution of Asian and African elephants and their interactions with humans and nature are displayed on the walls in two rooms of the museum. The skeleton of the a tusker is one of the main attractions. Nearby are ivory, skull, lower jaw, knee and horns. Another section has weapons used to tame and trap elephants. Along with this, you can go back with a complete knowledge of elephants by looking at the descriptions of the habits and behavior of the elephants.

Art Gallery
Once yo step into art gallery, you are welcomed by the murals of elephant characters in movies and books. The art gallery is adorned with hundreds of small and large sculptures and paintings of elephants made of wood, straw, glass and clay. The gallery also has paintings from the 'Kari' painting competition organized by the artists of the Kerala Lalithakala Academy in and around Konni. There are also sculptures in exhibitions organized by the Wildlife Trust of India in New Delhi.

Elephant Sanctuary
The elephant enclosure has been upgraded to tame the elephants found in the forest. The Airawat and the swinging white elephant near the reservoir are attractive. There is also a park for children. The sounds of 30 species of birds can be heard digitally.

Five elephants
The elephant sanctuary is home to Neelakantan, Krishna and the females Prayadarshani, Nina and Eva, that were recently brought from Kodanad.