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Striving to stop elephant attacks

MALAPPURAM: The Forest Department has embarked on a series of measures to prevent attacks by wild elephants in the wake of Tuesday’s killing of an 11-month-old girl by a herd of tuskers at Thandankallu Adivasi Colony in Vazhikadavu forest range near Nilambur.

More forest guards and police personnel have been posted at the Adivasi Colony inside the forest. Divisional Forest Officer (northern division) M. Sreedharan Nair said on Wednesday that the guards were trying to drive elephant herds back into the wild in a non-provocative manner.

He said solar fencing would be erected in attack-prone areas such as Thandankallu and Appankappu to protect the Adivasi hamlets. “Such fencing, to be put up as part of the Project Elephant scheme, will now be centred on Adivasi colonies,” he told The Hindu.

He said efforts would be made to disburse in a couple of days, a compensation of Rs.50,000 to the parents of Minnumol, who was killed on Tuesday.

The government has insured Adivasis with the United India Insurance against wild animal attacks. Mr. Nair said that the Forest Department would strive to expedite the insurance claim in this case. Bindu, an Adivasi woman from Punchakolli Colony in Vazhikadavu forest range, was killed by an elephant four months ago. The Forest Department could get her family an insurance compensation of Rs.75,000, he said, adding that Minnumol’s family too would get the same amount.

He said fodder trees would be planted and more ponds would be constructed inside the forest to prevent elephants from getting out of the jungle for water and shade.

Environment watchers said wild elephants had of late begun to show a change in their conduct. According to them, increasing heat and human encroachments could be the reasons.

Consequently, elephant attacks on human habitations too have increased.

Three persons, two of them Adivasis, were killed by elephants in Vazhikkadavu range in the past four months. Beeyathutty from Poovathipoyil Colony was killed by a tusker two months ago at Nellikuthu.

P. Ranjit Kumar and K. Manoj, forest range officers of Vazhikkadavu and Edavanna respectively, said precautions against elephant attacks need not work, if the approach of people to the forest and the animals in it did not change.

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