Historic 350-Year-Old African Baobab Tree Splits Amid Thoothukudi Rain

A rare 350-year-old African baobab tree in Thoothukudi has split following severe storms. Alumni and locals are now urgently calling on the district administration to implement restorative measures to save the historic natural landmark.

Historic Baobab Tree Suffers Structural Damage

A rare piece of living history in Tamil Nadu's coastal town of Thoothukudi has suffered severe damage following torrential rain and severe thunderstorms. An ancient African baobab tree, believed to be nearly 350 years old and rooted on the historic premises of the 174-year-old SAV Higher Secondary School, has split into two parts, sparking deep concern among locals and alumni.

The historic tree, standing tall on the grounds of the Saraswati Anglo Vernacular (SAV) Higher Secondary School, founded in 1851, has long been a monumental landmark of the institution. Following the recent split, Dr S Sivasailam, a psychiatrist and former student who has lived in Thoothukudi for three decades, has made an earnest appeal to the district administration to step in immediately and save the heritage flora.

Origins and Historical Significance

Understanding the Tree's Mysterious Past

Speaking to ANI, Dr Sivasailam highlighted the deep generational and historical ties the school and the town share with the majestic tree. While the school itself approaches its 175th anniversary, the baobab is estimated to be centuries older. Reflecting on its mysterious origins, Dr. Sivasailam said, "I'm Dr. Sivasailam, a psychiatrist. I've been living in this town, Thoothukudi, for the last 30 years. So I studied at this school, SAV Higher Secondary School. It is called Saraswati Anglo Vernacular. So this school was built around 1851, and the age of the school is nearly 175 years."

Pointing out the conflicting local folklore regarding how a South African native tree landed in coastal Tamil Nadu, he added, "So I thought through the years we said that this tree was planted here 350, 350 years before by Arab settlers because this tree doesn't belong to India and the seeds have come from South Africa. They are saying that some of the people are saying that through Arab settlers, some of the people they're saying that the priest, that is, a Christian priest, has brought these seeds and planted them here."

Call for Urgent Restoration

Baobab trees are renowned for their incredible resilience and capacity to survive for centuries, making the sudden structural failure a significant blow to the region's natural heritage. Describing the unfortunate incident, Dr. Sivasailam said, "Usually this tree grows for nearly 300 to 350 years. So actually what happened yesterday, we had heavy rain and a thunderstorm in Thoothukudi, and due to this the tree got split into two parts. So now we are standing in front of the damaged tree."

Expressing anguish over the state of the split trunk, he concluded with an urgent appeal to local authorities. "So I request humbly from my side that district administration should take necessary action to prevent further damage to this tree and I also request district administration to send an expert witness that is expert team to assess this tree condition and do a considerative management. Thank you."

Environmentalists and local heritage enthusiasts have echoed Dr Sivasailam's call, hoping that arborists and forest department officials will soon inspect the site to apply supportive cabling, pruning, and restorative measures to salvage the surviving portions of the ancient giant. (ANI)

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