LED lights with siren, bio-acoustics keep jumbos away in Odisha

The new techniques are being used as the wild animals have made life miserable for the farmers in several areas like Hemgiri, Sabdega and other places, Forest officials said.

"We are now using some new techniques and plans are afoot to introduce some other methods for which we need government’s approval," said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sundergarh, Arun Kumar Mishra.

Amongst the techniques being used are LED lights with sirens, scare away guns and bio-acoustics. 

"The LED lights and sirens are being used after the experience in Jaspur in Chhattisgarh," said the DFO. The high-power lights along with sirens are helping in scaring away the jumbos. However, these have limited effect.

What helped was the scare away guns. The scare away gun is a big look alike of an old artillery gun kept at forts along with a gas cylinder. In 45 seconds, it will fire one shot making a deafening sound of enough decibel to scare away the elephant, he said.

The bio-acoustics is a machine, which has sounds of animals like boar and elephants when they are in stress or distress. "This helps but has to be used in isolation because elephants are very clever when they listen human voices along with this they do not go away as they understand no one is in problem," said Mishra. This was used in Athagarh, he said adding these three methods have limitations.

Another method under consideration is the use of radio collar. The collar put on the elephant after tranquilising it will send electric shocks when the jumbos try to cross certain limits. However, Forest department is waiting government clearance to use it.