News Analysis India

Tag: Man animal conflict

  • Kerala wild elephant population declines by 58%, only 84 tigers in Wayanad

    By Express News Service

    KOCHI: Amidst the increasing man- animal conflict which has led to wide spread protests in the high ranges, a statewide enumeration conducted by forest department revealed that the wild elephant population has declined by 58.19% in Kerala over the past five years.

    As per the enumeration conducted in 2017, Kerala had 5,706 wild elephants, but the population declined to 2,386 in 2023. 

    Meanwhile, an enumeration of tiger population in Wayanad wildlife sanctuary revealed that the population of the striped big cat has come down to 84. In 2018, Wayanad wildlife sanctuary had 120 tigers.

    Revealing the enumeration figures at a press meet in Thiruvananthapuram, forest minister A K Saseendran said the reason for the drastic decline in elephant population could be migration to Karnataka forests. The enumeration was conductedacross all south Indian states from May 17 to 19, 2023. 

    The elephant census was conducted during the same period in 2017. According to authorities, climate plays a significant role in elephant migration. During the 2017 enumeration, elephants had migrated to Kerala as dry weather prevailed in Karnataka. This time, it was raining in Karnataka and the temperature was high in Kerala.

    “The elephant enumeration was conducted adopting the block count and dung count method. In block count, the state forests were divided into 610 sample blocks of an average area of 5.78 sq km. In block count 1,920 elephants were counted and the population density was 0.20 per sq km. The total forest area with elephant population is 9,622.33 sq km of which 36.46% has been surveyed,” the minister said.

    As part of dung count 2,386 elephants were counted and the population density was 0.25 per sq km. During the 2017 enumeration 3,322 wild elephants were sighted in block count while 5,706 elephants were estimated in dung count. As manyas 251 elephant herds were lcoated during the block count and 700 wild elephants were part of these herds.

    As part of the tiger enumeration 297 camera traps were installed in Wayanad sanctuary, Aralam and Kottiyoor forests. From the 297 ntraps images of 84 tiogers were collected from 160 locations. Of the 84 tigers, 69 were in Wayanad sanctuary while 8 were in North Wayanad division and 7 in South Wayanad division.

    Of the 84 tigers 45 (54%) were enumerated in 2016, 2018 and 2022 and 39 tigers (46%) were sighted for the first time. The analysis identified 29 male tigers and 47 females. The gender of 8 tigers could not be confirmed. . The density of tiger in wayanad landscape is 7.7 per 100 sq km, which is healthy, said Minister Saseendran.

    KOCHI: Amidst the increasing man- animal conflict which has led to wide spread protests in the high ranges, a statewide enumeration conducted by forest department revealed that the wild elephant population has declined by 58.19% in Kerala over the past five years.

    As per the enumeration conducted in 2017, Kerala had 5,706 wild elephants, but the population declined to 2,386 in 2023. 

    Meanwhile, an enumeration of tiger population in Wayanad wildlife sanctuary revealed that the population of the striped big cat has come down to 84. In 2018, Wayanad wildlife sanctuary had 120 tigers.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Revealing the enumeration figures at a press meet in Thiruvananthapuram, forest minister A K Saseendran said the reason for the drastic decline in elephant population could be migration to Karnataka forests. The enumeration was conducted
    across all south Indian states from May 17 to 19, 2023. 

    The elephant census was conducted during the same period in 2017. According to authorities, climate plays a significant role in elephant migration. During the 2017 enumeration, elephants had migrated to Kerala as dry weather prevailed in Karnataka. This time, it was raining in Karnataka and the temperature was high in Kerala.

    “The elephant enumeration was conducted adopting the block count and dung count method. In block count, the state forests were divided into 610 sample blocks of an average area of 5.78 sq km. In block count 1,920 elephants were counted and the population density was 0.20 per sq km. The total forest area with elephant population is 9,622.33 sq km of which 36.46% has been surveyed,” the minister said.

    As part of dung count 2,386 elephants were counted and the population density was 0.25 per sq km. During the 2017 enumeration 3,322 wild elephants were sighted in block count while 5,706 elephants were estimated in dung count. As many
    as 251 elephant herds were lcoated during the block count and 700 wild elephants were part of these herds.

    As part of the tiger enumeration 297 camera traps were installed in Wayanad sanctuary, Aralam and Kottiyoor forests. From the 297 ntraps images of 84 tiogers were collected from 160 locations. Of the 84 tigers, 69 were in Wayanad sanctuary while 8 were in North Wayanad division and 7 in South Wayanad division.

    Of the 84 tigers 45 (54%) were enumerated in 2016, 2018 and 2022 and 39 tigers (46%) were sighted for the first time. The analysis identified 29 male tigers and 47 females. The gender of 8 tigers could not be confirmed. . The density of tiger in wayanad landscape is 7.7 per 100 sq km, which is healthy, said Minister Saseendran.

  • Elephants liking paddy will lead to more conflicts: Wildlife experts on Chhattisgarh govt’s ‘experimental’ project

    Express News Service

    RAIPUR: Wildlife experts have explicitly called the decision of the Chhattisgarh government’s decision to use the surplus quantity of available paddy to feed the wild elephants “misconceived and inadvisable.”

    The plan is to be launched shortly by the state forest department as a pilot project in districts witnessing the movement of wild tuskers.

    “The Indian elephants are endangered Schedule-1 animals. Section 32 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 says ‘a ban on use of injurious substances’. No person shall use chemicals, explosives or any other substance that may cause injury or endanger any wildlife in a sanctuary. So, the action of the Chhattisgarh government apparently stands in violation of the given Act. If the paddy gets rotten in open forest, it might cause disease for elephants or wildlife”, asserted K K Bisen, former chief conservator of forest, who had extensive groundwork on behaviours of pachyderms.

    Similarly, Amalendu Mishra, State Wildlife Advisory Board member, who follows movements of wild elephants in north Chhattisgarh, dubbed the decision as ‘unwise’. “Not a good initiative. The paddy is not their main food”, he said.

    Prakash Sasha of the Elsa Foundation, organisation devoted to elephant welfare, expressed surprise over the plan of the state government. “There are sufficient food available for elephants in the forest. But if they become addicted to a new taste of the farm produce (paddy) then it will further aggravate the human-elephant conflict, in case the wild tuskers didn’t get the paddy in future”, said Sasha.

    Wildlife enthusiasts too were baffled with the latest move of the state. “How could such initiative check the existing conflict or safeguard the human habitats? The paddy is not their natural diet and we should not try to change their diet pattern as this is against the principals of wildlife conservation. Chhattisgarh’s extensive forest already provide varieties as food to these wild elephants”, affirmed Nitin Singhvi, wildlife enthusiast.

    ALSO READ | Chhattisgarh to ‘experiment’ offering surplus paddy to wild elephants

    However, the state forest minister Mohammed Akbar finds nothing wrong with the decision. “It’s better to keep doing an experiment rather than to sit and do nothing”, he said.

    His colleague and the state food minister Amarjeet Bhagat said, “We already have surplus paddy and there is no harm in carrying such trials to utilise the stored paddy so as to minimise the man-animal conflict”.

    The Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation that executes the paddy procurement process under support price scheme has written to the forest department over making available the paddy procured during 2019-20 in those districts witnessing the movement of wild tuskers.

    The divisional forest officers (DFOs) of nine districts have been apprised regarding the availability of paddy at various procurement centres at a high price Rs 2095 per quintal.

  • Chhattisgarh to ‘experiment’ offering surplus paddy to wild elephants

    Express News Service
    RAIPUR: Apparently in a fix over usage and consumption of the huge quantity of procured paddy, the Chhattisgarh government has gone for yet another experiment to use the surplus quantity to feed wild elephants.

    The Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation that executes the work of paddy procurement under support price scheme has written to the forest department over making available the paddy procured during 2019-20 in those districts witnessing the movement of wild tuskers.

    “We already have surplus paddy and there is no harm in carrying such experiment to utilise the stored paddy so as to minimise the man-animal conflict”, said Amarjeet Bhagat, the state food minister.

    The programme is to be executed by the respective divisional forest officers (DFOs) of Gariyaband, Balod, Sarguja, Raigarh, Surajpur, Korba, Dhamtari, Kanker and Mahasamund. They have been apprised regarding the availability of paddy at various procurement centres at a high price Rs 2095 per quintal.

    Since last year, Chhattisgarh has been endeavouring to sell the un-allocated (surplus about 20.5 LMT) paddy through auction at a base rate of Rs 2035 in open market. But so far the state has not received an encouraging response and is procuring at Rs 2500 per quintal from paddy farmers.

    However, the wildlife enthusiasts were surprised over such a decision. “How could such initiative going to check the human-elephant conflicts or safeguard the human habitats? Never heard any such conservation experiment taken up as a project towards wildlife or elephant management. The state just intends to use the surplus paddy. If the paddy gets damaged or rot, the elephants are intelligent enough never to consume it”, affirmed Nitin Singhvi, wildlife enthusiast. 

    “The paddy will be bought by the DFOs, if required. We are starting it on a pilot project initially”, said P V Narasimha Rao , PCCF (Wildlife).

  • Man killed in bear attack in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna reserve 

    By PTI
    PANNA: A 55-year-old man was mauled to death by a wild bear in the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, a senior official said on Wednesday.

    The incident took place on Tuesday evening in the forest near Bagoha village, said the reserve’s field director Uttam Kumar Sharma.

    The deceased, resident of the same village, had ventured into the forest in search of his buffalo.

    While his family suspected that a tiger could have killed him, Sharma said a bear was found to be roaming in the area when the incident took place and inspection of the spot also indicated attack by a bear.

  • Leopard kills 10-year-old boy in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh 

    By PTI
    PITHORAGARH (Uttarakhand): A 10-year-old boy was mauled to death by a leopard in a village in this district, a forest official said on Wednesday.

    The boy was returning to home along with his sister from a shop in Latrari village on Tuesday evening when he was attacked by the leopard from behind, Pithoragarh Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Vinay Bhargav said.

    As his sister cried for help, the leopard fled, leaving the boy behind after dragging him for a few metres, he said.

    The boy was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead.

  • Paddy centre’s watchman killed by elephants in Chhattisgarh

    By PTI
    GARIABAND: A 45-year-old watchman at a government paddy collection centre was trampled to death by wild elephants in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district on Wednesday, a forest official said.

    The victim, identified as Gyanchand, was attacked by the jumbos in the wee hours when he was on duty at the facility located in Kundel village under Fingeshwar police station area, about 80 km from the state capital Raipur, he said.

    At least 14 people were present at the paddy collection centre when the elephants strayed there apparently in search of food, the official said. On seeing the tuskers, 13 people escaped from there.

    However, the watchman failed to move out of the facility and the elephants caught hold of him with their trunks and trampled him to death, the official said.

    Forest and police personnel rushed to the spot in the morning after being alerted and sent the body for post-mortem, he said.

    The kin of the deceased were provided an instant relief of Rs 25,000, he said, adding that the elephants were still roaming in the area and villagers were alerted.

    In the past, several incidents of human-elephant conflict were reported from the thick forested areas of Surguja, Surajpur, Korba, Raigarh, Jashpur, Balrampur, Korea and Gariaband districts in the state.

  • Madhya Pradesh man, 2 grandsons killed by wild elephants in Sidhi

    By PTI
    SIDHI: An elderly man and his two minor grandsons have been killed by a herd of wild elephants near the Sanjay Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district, a forest official said on Tuesday.

    The incident took place on Monday night in Haiki village, about 85 km from the district headquarters, she said.

    After the herd of elephants entered the village, Gorelal Yadav and his grandsons Ramkripal (12) and Ramprasad (13) rushed out of their house to move to a safer place, the tiger reserve’s sub-divisional officer Jaya Tripathi said.

    The jumbos, however, caught hold of the trio and banged them on the ground with their trunks.

    The three victims died on the spot, the official said.

    Later, angry residents of the village, which is situated close to Chhattisgarh, staged a blockade on the Tilwari-Janakpur Road in protest.

    A probe is underway into the incident, the official said.