KOTTAYAM: Wild animals are intruding into human habitats in the Santhanpara and Chinnacanal panchayaths in the district often claiming the life of local residents. Sunil George, 29, a native of Singukandom in Chinnacanal panchayath was trampled by a wild elephant in mid-June. On Wednesday, a group of wild tuskers destroyed Cardamom plantations at Moolathara in Santhanpara panchayath. There are also regular wild elephant attacks at Chempala in the panchayath where cardamom cultivation proliferates.
In a bid to curb wild elephant attacks, the forest department had decided to bring in Kumki elephants to Munnar from Wayanad, but the decision has got delayed due to the onset of rains. “Two of the Kumki elephants will be brought for elephant patrolling so that the wild elephants causing destruction in the human habitats will be sent back to the forests. The Kumki elephants can easily detect when the wild elephants come on a rampage and they send them back to the forests”, Chief Wildlife Warden, KF Varghese told DC. He said the Kumki elephants would be brought to places like Santhanpara and Chinnacanal panchayaths, where elephant attacks have increased, within a couple of days.
