Changing Crops, Avoiding Selfies Can Check Elephant Menace: Officials
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh will get four trained kumki elephants from Karnataka in December. These will be deployed in the four districts of Chittoor, Tirupati, Annamayya and Parvathipuram Manyam to drive away the wild elements back into forests whenever they stray into human habitations and destroy crops.
Both AP and Karnataka have signed a pact in this regard. As Karnataka celebrates Dasara in a grand manner, where elephants play a major part, foresters of the neighbouring state will train mahouts, elephant trackers and forest personnel of AP only after the festivities. The training will last two months.
Andhra Pradesh already has four kumki elephants, two of them deployed in Chittoor district and the other two in Tirupati Zoo. These four kumkis have aged. AP thus wants to strengthen its team of kumki elephants to deal with wild elephants that stray from forests into human habitations.
Parvathipuram Manyam district of Andhra Pradesh has a common border with Odisha, while AP’s Chittoor, Tirupati and Annamayya districts share the border with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Herds of elephants in these four states across borders, mainly at the tri-junction of AP, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Wild elephants of AP and Odisha cross over through the Lakhari Sanctuary in Odisha.
Additional principal chief conservator of forests Shantipriya Pande explained, “Under the Recognition of Forest Rights Act, 2006, which came into force in 2008, several forest lands went into the hands of people belonging to scheduled tribes and other traditional forest dwellers. These people started cultivating crops on such forest lands. This has led to shrinking of forest lands. Wild animals, including elephants, are thus straying into human habitations abutting the forests.”
Another main reason for elephants straying into farmers’ fields is raising of commercial crops like sugarcane, banana, fruits and maize. Elephants find these attractive as they are tastier. Moreover, elephants have a huge appetite.
Foresters say they are sensitising farmers abutting forests to raise food crops and chillies, which elephants do not favour much. Forest officials also advise humans, particularly the younger generation, against taking selfies with wild elephants. The love for selfies with elephants has caused numerous deaths.
Parvathipuram Manyam district forest officer G.A.P. Prasuna said, “In addition to using Kumki elephants, we are asking farmers to raise crops that elephants do not favour. We also advise farmers to avoid provoking stray elephants in any way and remain safe.”
