Ooty: Call for bio-control approach to manage man-elephant conflict

Ooty: While the globe observes World Elephant Day on Monday to signify the importance of the conservation of elephants, the greens here called for an area specific bio-control approach  to manage the man-elephant conflict in the Nilgiris. The vast jungle cover, good vegetation and water sources during the rainy seasons help the elephant enjoy life in the hills here which consist of quite a few reserve forests in the Nilgiris north forest division and in the Gudalur forest division, besides the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.

However, the continuing man-animal conflict has been a problem, especially in the Gudalur-Pandalur sector on the Nilgiris border.  Saying that an area specific study is needed to tackle the man-elephant conflict, N. Mohanraj, consultant, WWF-India, said that studying the behavior of stray elephants would help evolve schemes and plans to prevent them from straying further. Unplanned developmental activities along the forest fringes may be the reason for the animals to stray into human habitations, he explained.

V. Sivadass, managing trustee, Nilgiris Environment and Socio-cultural Trust, said that stopping the cultivation of elephant-friendly foods like banana and sugarcane in the fringes and sensitive areas would itself serve as a form of bio-control approach.

N. Sadiq Ali, founder of the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust, stressed on erecting bee-hives along the fences, as is being practiced in some tribal villages. This is said to be yielding results as the noise created by the bees whenever elephants touch the fence, is said to be disturb them and they move away from the vicinity. Likewise, using pepper spray while trying to drive away stray jumbos too is said to be working well in bio-control measures.