Hassan: In order to reduce human-animal conflict, forest department officials have dug Elephant Proof Trenches (EPT) so that elephants do not stray into human habitats but forest officials in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve have gone a step further and placed iron pieces on drains along the EPT drawing the wrath of wildlife activists who say that the fixing of iron pieces would pose a danger to wild animals especially elephants.
The route leading to Nagarahole Tiger Reserve from Hunsur to Mysuru, is where the EPT has been dug up to place iron pieces in gaps.
But forest officials do not agree with the observations of wildlife conservationists saying that elephants in particular would not step on iron pieces and sustain injuries.
A senior forest official connected with the Elephant Project claims to have objected to the idea of iron pieces on EPT but maintains that “elephants are clever enough not to step on the iron pieces and injure themselves.”
Ecologist and Professor, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Raman Sukumar, observes that “Most elephants will not risk crossing the EPT drain with iron pieces on it but a desperate bull elephant can try to get across.”
But, a wildlife activist familiar with Nagarahole area says elephant paw are delicate and iron pieces will easily pierce them resulting in injuries which could be fatal.
If rusted iron pieces pierce then, it would turn into an infection. The activist questioned the rationale of forest officials installing iron pieces along the EPT.
The fitting of iron pieces along the EPT was completed about three years back but no incidents of any wild animal stepping on the iron pieces and sustaining injuries has not come to the notice of the staff as of now, say the forest officials.
A wildlife activist however says he has noticed an elephant roaming in the forest with an injured leg but was not sure that the injury was owing to stepping on iron pieces along the EPT.
