Forest dept draws elephant control strategy (India)
Forest dept draws elephant control strategy (India)
Navhind Times
June 27, 2008
PANAJI — Battery as well as solar panel-operated electrical fence, elephant protection trenches (EPT), watchtowers along the Goa-Maharashtra border area, pair of a male-female tamed elephants and an elephant camp at Pernem are some of the medium-term as well as long-term measures to be taken up by the forest department to control the wild elephants creating nuisance in the Northernmost part of Goa.
The chief conservator of forests, Mr C A Reddy, speaking to ‘The Navhind Times’, on Thursday morning said that all these elephant-control measures cannot be adopted in isolation and would be taken up collectively with the participation of deputy conservators of forests for wildlife as well as for eco-tourism. “However, our objectives cannot be achieved without the public support,” he added.
Mr Reddy also said that the short-term measures are already being taken to control elephant menace and include increase in the amount of compensation to the villagers whose plantations and other property is destroyed by the elephants. He also maintained that the disbursal of compensation amount is quick.
“Furthermore,” Mr Reddy said, “We have requested the Karnataka government to send its Kawadis who are the assistants to Mahout or elephant trainer/ handler.” These Kawadis are agile persons who are able to sense the presence of elephants in any area, he observed, pointing out that they will trace the movements of wild elephants in Goa from across the border and suggest the steps to be taken to control them. There are presently four wild elephants in a group, besides a tusker who cross the Maharashtra border and enter Goa. The elephants originally from Karnataka state moved to Maharashtra and are frequently visiting the border villages in Goa.
Mr Reddy mentioned that the tusker was earlier moving alone and then joined the group of four wild elephants. “The elephants are very intelligent animals and the tusker sometimes enters Goan villages all alone to fool the forest officials,” he added. We have several proposals on the anvil including an electrical fence to be erected along the shortcut routes in the border areas so that the resulting shock would prevent elephants from entering Goa, Mr Reddy informed, assuring that such fences are totally harmless to humans as they give a very mild shock. “However, the general public who use such shortcut routes to cross the border must extend their support to the forest department,” he noted. It was also informed that an amount of Rs 14 lakh has been spent on elephant control exercise till now and the same amount could have been used to erect a 5 to 6 km long electrical fence.
The chief conservator of forests further said that a pair of tamed elephants, a male and a female, would also be procured so that the forest department staff can ride them while tracing the wild elephants and are very safe while doing so.
Among other measures, he said, it is proposed to erect a number of watchtowers on the government land along the border area, which would largely help the forest department staff to keep surveillance over the area with the help of binoculars.
Mr Reddy also stated that a permanent elephant camp is being planned in Pernem, which would house the tamed elephants procured for moving in the forest area. The chief conservator of forests appealed to the people not to follow the forest department staff while they are busy in driving away the wild elephants. “In fact, the cries of the people and the colourful clothes worn by the ladies and children agitate the wild elephants, making them attack the crowd,” he pointed out.
Replying to a question, Mr Reddy said that deforestation is one of the reasons for elephants to enter inhabited areas, though it is not the only reason. We can definitely control the elephants but we need some time and the support from the public, he concluded.
Article at the following link:
http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=062710
Navhind Times
June 27, 2008
PANAJI — Battery as well as solar panel-operated electrical fence, elephant protection trenches (EPT), watchtowers along the Goa-Maharashtra border area, pair of a male-female tamed elephants and an elephant camp at Pernem are some of the medium-term as well as long-term measures to be taken up by the forest department to control the wild elephants creating nuisance in the Northernmost part of Goa.
The chief conservator of forests, Mr C A Reddy, speaking to ‘The Navhind Times’, on Thursday morning said that all these elephant-control measures cannot be adopted in isolation and would be taken up collectively with the participation of deputy conservators of forests for wildlife as well as for eco-tourism. “However, our objectives cannot be achieved without the public support,” he added.
Mr Reddy also said that the short-term measures are already being taken to control elephant menace and include increase in the amount of compensation to the villagers whose plantations and other property is destroyed by the elephants. He also maintained that the disbursal of compensation amount is quick.
“Furthermore,” Mr Reddy said, “We have requested the Karnataka government to send its Kawadis who are the assistants to Mahout or elephant trainer/ handler.” These Kawadis are agile persons who are able to sense the presence of elephants in any area, he observed, pointing out that they will trace the movements of wild elephants in Goa from across the border and suggest the steps to be taken to control them. There are presently four wild elephants in a group, besides a tusker who cross the Maharashtra border and enter Goa. The elephants originally from Karnataka state moved to Maharashtra and are frequently visiting the border villages in Goa.
Mr Reddy mentioned that the tusker was earlier moving alone and then joined the group of four wild elephants. “The elephants are very intelligent animals and the tusker sometimes enters Goan villages all alone to fool the forest officials,” he added. We have several proposals on the anvil including an electrical fence to be erected along the shortcut routes in the border areas so that the resulting shock would prevent elephants from entering Goa, Mr Reddy informed, assuring that such fences are totally harmless to humans as they give a very mild shock. “However, the general public who use such shortcut routes to cross the border must extend their support to the forest department,” he noted. It was also informed that an amount of Rs 14 lakh has been spent on elephant control exercise till now and the same amount could have been used to erect a 5 to 6 km long electrical fence.
The chief conservator of forests further said that a pair of tamed elephants, a male and a female, would also be procured so that the forest department staff can ride them while tracing the wild elephants and are very safe while doing so.
Among other measures, he said, it is proposed to erect a number of watchtowers on the government land along the border area, which would largely help the forest department staff to keep surveillance over the area with the help of binoculars.
Mr Reddy also stated that a permanent elephant camp is being planned in Pernem, which would house the tamed elephants procured for moving in the forest area. The chief conservator of forests appealed to the people not to follow the forest department staff while they are busy in driving away the wild elephants. “In fact, the cries of the people and the colourful clothes worn by the ladies and children agitate the wild elephants, making them attack the crowd,” he pointed out.
Replying to a question, Mr Reddy said that deforestation is one of the reasons for elephants to enter inhabited areas, though it is not the only reason. We can definitely control the elephants but we need some time and the support from the public, he concluded.
Article at the following link:
http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=062710