Man animal conflict: Tackling jumbo intrusions

From September 2016 to August 2017 alone, as many as 17 persons died in elephant encounters and 39 human beings suffered injuries in jumbo attacks. “Most elephant encounters happened during early hours, when labourers go to their farms to collect flowers and milk cows. There were also incidents when elderly persons, who ventured out of their homes to attend nature’s call coming under the attack of the wild jumbos,” said NI Jalaluddin, president of Nature Conservation Society (NCS).

In a major incident in June last year, a single elephant strayed out of the forest area and trampled to death four people, including a 12 –year-old girl in one go in Vellalore area. 

Conflicts do not end with the death of human beings alone, as more than 22 elephant deaths were reported in the Coimbatore forest division during September 2016 to August 2017. “The cause of death of the twelve elephants has not been established; while four died of  disease, two animals were electrocuted, two deaths resulted from injuries, one was from accidental fall and one died in a territorial fight,” said K Kalidas of Osai, a conservation NGO. 

Among the six ranges in Coimbatore forests, the Sirumugai Range reported the maximum number of 12 elephant deaths. “Kallar, which falls in the Sirumugai Range, is an elephant corridor and large herds of elephants migrate to Mudumalai. Hence, more deaths are reported in the range,” he said. 

While there is a general belief that elephants come out of forests in search of food and water, more than 50 per cent of intrusions do not result in crop raids. A study done by Osai revealed that about 56. 86 per cent of elephant breaching incidents did not culminate in crop raids. It is believed that the elephants might have ventured out of the forests as it might be a regular migratory pathway for them. Crops like banana, coconut and sorghum were the most affected in this region. 

A total of 1,806 elephant breaching incidents were reported from the peripheral regions of Coimbatore Forest division from September 2016 to August 2017. The Forest department, which has been facing tough times due to increasing conflicts, had attempted 1,667 driving operations to tackle conflict situations. Interestingly a majority of the operations were done after dark, during night hours. 

Kalidas said that 96 human lives were lost during the period from 1999 to 2014 in Coimbatore Forest Division. “As the Coimbatore Forest Division is mostly restricted to foot hills, human-elephant conflict is higher compared to other largely populated elephant habitats in South India. Earlier, elephants used to visit only villages in the fringes of forests, attracted by standing crops. However, these days elephants are coming frequently into human habitations and crop fields located as far as five kms from the forest boundary,” he said. 

The Forest department here has formed special squads to tackle the situation. “The members of the squad, on learning about elephant movement from farmers, chase away the elephants that breach the forest boundary, and let them back into the wilds,” said a senior official.  

Elephant proof trenches and electric fences have also been constructed along the forest boundaries in critical conflict prone zones to prevent elephants from entering residential areas.