Chew this: Jumbos on a mask, napkin ‘diet’

It is testimony to the deep penetration of this substance—plastic. How else could one explain the presence of the loop of a surgical mask in a lump of elephant dung inside the forest?

Masks, napkins and other plastic items are increasing being ingested by wild animals, including elephants, conservation activists say.

The members of Coimbatore Wildlife Conservation Trust (CWCT) involved in the process of mitigating elephant conflicts, were startled to find a mask in elephant dung piled en-route to Marudamalai hill temple on Sunday night.

“On checking, I found a napkin, milk cover, plastic carry bag and a biscuit wrapper in it. A herd of five elephants had retreated into the forests in the early morning hours after feeding at the garbage yard located in Somayampalayam on the elephant corridor,” said T Muruganandam, founder and president of CWCT.

“The problem persists ever since the yard came up two years ago. Before, their visits to the yard used to be rare but now it’s frequent,” he added. Wild elephants could reach the yard by trekking barely half a kilometre through the forest cover from the hills.

Somayampalayam Panchayat President KP Rangaraj completely denied the allegations and termed it as an issue raised out of malafide intention.

“The garbage yard does not come under the elephant corridor. Will an elephant consume napkins and masks? It is a completely baseless allegation,” he said.

When queried, TK Ashok Kumar, District Forest Officer (DFO) of Coimbatore Forest Division, said the department has decided to request the Assistant Director of panchayats in Coimbatore to shift the garbage yard elsewhere as it comes under ‘elephant moving area.’

K Asokan, forest veterinary officer, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, said consumption of plastic waste in huge volume may cause indigestion leading to bloated stomach and cause breathing difficulties before claiming the life of the animal.