Changing food habits cause jumbos to raid agri crops

The food habit of wild Asian elephants are changing and some of them are teaching their young ones to raid agricultural crops. Elephants now prefer nutritious and palatable food over the wild grass and shola plants, wildlife conservationist and expert in Asian elephants Raman Sukumar said during a webinar on “Elephant is a foodie,” organised by Intach, Chennai chapter, on Thursday.

“Over the last four decades, the population of both humans and elephants have doubled and this had increased the conflict between us and the pachyderms in sharing the land. As a result, bachelor elephant herds are mushrooming in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, where the young sub-adults prefer agricultural landscapes over the forests. These herds select coconut groves or paddy fields located near a small lake. They spend the day in the middle of the lake and then raid the crops during the nights. Such herds are found near Krishnagiri, Coimbatore, Hosur and Bangalore,” the professor in ecology said.

Today, some of the elephants prefer a nutritional rich crop over the forest grass as a result they get adequate sodium, calcium and protein and their body conditions are better than the ones found inside protected national parks. According to Sukumar, herds are learning the nuances of handling farmers. “Elephant Chinnathambi trapped in Coimbatore is a classic example of how they are migrating from forest to agricultural lands,” he said.

Elephants sightings are increasing in Kodaikanal hills and this was not the case thirty years ago. Similarly, jumbo movement in coffee estates of Karnataka had also picked up, the professor said. He added that the incidence of elephants moving into Andhra is also visible.

A study on microchipped jumbos in northeast revealed that they shuttle between India – Nepal - Assam, based on seasonal crop patterns.