Fearful Residents in TN Request Urgent Action from Forest Authorities as Elephant Herd Approaches

Chennai, Dec 7 (NationPress) Residents of Gudallur district in Tamil Nadu reached out to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department on Saturday, requesting immediate intervention to relocate a herd of wild elephants that have gathered in a forest region just 2 km from inhabited zones.

M. Lokanathan, a local farmer from Gudalur, shared with IANS, “A group of over ten elephants is currently residing in the forest area, which is alarmingly close to our homes. We implore the forest department to take swift action to move these elephants away.”

The locals have reported that these elephants routinely invade agricultural fields and banana farms, inflicting significant damage to crops.

In a recent event on Friday, a wild tusker ventured into a residential area and attacked the home of Suresh, a farmer in Puliyamvayal, Gudalur.

Fortunately, Suresh and his pregnant wife narrowly escaped, even as the elephant wreaked havoc on their property.

According to forest officials from the Gudalur range, Suresh opened his door upon hearing strange noises, only to encounter the wild tusker directly outside. He and his wife managed to escape through the back entrance, while the elephant demolished their home and belongings.

The previous evening, a herd of wild elephants emerged from the forest, causing destruction to houses in the Allurvayal area of Gudalur district.

Residents have urged the forest department to implement preventive strategies such as digging trenches and setting up solar fencing to deter elephant incursions.

In another occurrence, a group of eight elephants has been residing in Thailathoppu, just 2 km from the forest boundary.

Additionally, farmers in the Denkanikottai region of Krishnagiri district have also called on the forest department to return the elephants to their natural habitat.

Over the past five years, Tamil Nadu has recorded 256 fatalities resulting from wild elephant encounters.

Many individuals have suffered injuries or permanent disabilities due to unexpected attacks, especially in areas bordering forests.

The Environment Ministry has issued guidelines to states and Union Territories on managing human-wildlife conflicts, including crop damage.

These guidelines suggest cultivating crops that are less appealing to wild animals in regions near forests.

Farmers are encouraged to adopt agroforestry practices, integrating cash crops like chillies, lemongrass, and khus grass with trees and shrubs.

A committee formed by the Tamil Nadu government has identified 42 elephant corridors in the state and is inviting public feedback on its draft report.

This number is significantly greater than the 20 corridors identified in 2023 by the Project Elephant division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

The Elephant Corridor Committee, led by V. Naganathan, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), conducted a thorough reassessment through literature reviews, ground validations, and mapping.

The report emphasizes that human-elephant conflicts are widespread across 20 forest divisions in Tamil Nadu, with Coimbatore, Gudalur, Hosur, and the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve facing the most severe issues.

The synchronized elephant census of 2017 recorded 2,761 elephants across 26 forest divisions in Tamil Nadu. The 2023 census indicated a slight increase, estimating 2,961 elephants across 20 of the 26 forest divisions, covering an area of 9,217.13 sq. km.

aal/rad