Jumbo release scares farmers in Wayanad

WAYANAD: Environmentalists, forest officials and farmers in Wayanad are irritated by the recurring as well as conflicting orders from the wildlife secretariat on the release of Kallur Komban, a truant elephant captured by the forest department in November after it wreaked havoc on farm lands at Kallur near Muthanga in Wayanad. After the elephant was captured following a direction by forest minister K. Raju, there was pressure on forest officials to release the animal. However an order from P. Mara Pandyan, additional secretary to forest and wildlife, came later to release the animal into the jungle zone of Parambikkulam Tiger Reserve in Palakkad.

The order was dubious because the animal was pushed and pulled into a vehicle after administering tranquilizers.  Even as this was happening, the  next order came to keep it in the kraal(enclosure) as a massive protest was developing against the move in Parambikkulam. Wayanad Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithy president N. Badusha told DC that  his organization was against the move to transport the animal a long way to Parambikkulam and also against detaining it in a tiny, suffocating kraal.

“Officials who issue such orders never realise the ground reality”, he added. However the farming community of the region is furious about the suspicious attitude of the forest department. “We are all set to launch an agitation against the forest department demanding that animals should remain in the jungle”, said Suresh Thaloor, Sulthan Bathery block panchayat vice-president.