ERODE: Wondering how best to spend your summer holidays? Before you come up with answers, here is what is on offer: a short trip to spend a while with elephants, spotted deer and beautiful birds in a scenic location.

Conservation

And with it comes a lesson or two on elephant census, wildlife conservation and nature protection.

The best thing about this package is that there is hardly any money involved.

All you need is commitment. For the Forest Department is roping in students, preferably from higher secondary school and college, to help them in their synchronised elephant census, beginning May 7. The census will be for three days. According to the Conservator of Forests, Erode, P. Durairasu, all the southern states will go in for the census on the three days to count elephants. The census was last held in 2004-05.

Besides looking for pachyderms, the officials will also look out for tiger, panther, and other animals.

He says he expects the elephant population to increase because the measures initiated in the recent past like protection of elephant habitation, creation of water troughs and reduction of external interference have yielded results.

Mr. Durairasu further says that for the ensuing census the department has roped in Osai, an NGO to assist the department.

That will be in addition to the department's 150 uniformed personnel. They will cover an area of 2.28 lakh hectares.

Contact details

Students interested can get in touch with the Department at 0424-2291722 or 04295-220312/220688.

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