GPS survey for elephant sanctuary in Idukki

Giji K Raman, Idukki
The Hindu, 14 May 2019

The Forest Department has completed the Global Positioning System (GPS) survey for setting up the first elephant sanctuary in the State. The survey has covered the Anayirangal and Chinnakanal areas in the Munnar region.
The region has witnessed man-animal conflicts claiming over 30 lives since 2010. The number 301 colony of tribespeople in Chinnakanal, where a farmer was killed by wild elephants on Sunday, will also form part of the sanctuary.
The Chief Wildlife Warden had earlier sought a detailed project report from Munnar Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) on the proposed sanctuary and the wild jumbo related issues in Chinnakanal and Anayirangal.
Over 6 sq km (600 ha) area will form part of the proposed sanctuary covering the areas of Number 301 Colony, Enpathekkar and another Scheduled Tribe Colony, a Forest Department official told The Hindu on Monday.
About 386 ha of land leased out to the Hindustan Newsprint Ltd. by the Forest Department and another 290 ha of forest land would be used for the sanctuary, he said.

Reasons

Habitat disturbance and human intrusion were stated to be the reasons for wild animals entering the residential areas.
When the number 301 Colony was created in 2003 to house the landless tribespeople, there was criticism that it was done without considering the report of the Forest Department which had said that the area formed part of an elephant corridor.
The main areas that came under frequent wild elephants’ attacks were in Anayirangal, Munnar, Chinnakanal, Sinkukandam and number 301 colony.
The Forest Department has estimated that 38 wild elephants are stranded in the area and some of them are causing loss to human life and property.

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Elephant census begins on May 17 in Kerala

E.M. Manoj, Kalpetta
The Hindu, May 12, 2017

An elephant census will be held in southern India from May 17 to May 19.
It is estimated that there are more than 6,000 elephants in the Wayanad, Nilambur, Anamudi, and Periyar elephant reserves of the State. The last census in 2012 had put the number of elephants at 6,177.
P.S. Easa, wildlife expert and coordinator of the programme, told The Hindu that along with Kerala, the census would be held in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. “Elephants are migratory animals and cross over to the adjoining States, which may lead to overestimation or underestimation. Hence, the count will be conducted simultaneously with the three States,” Dr. Easa said.
A twelve-member core committee has been constituted for the programme. Amit Mallick, field director, Periyar Tiger Reserve, is the nodal officer and chairman of the team.
The census, involving direct and indirect count, will cover elephant habitats spread around 9,670 sq km of the 11,119.3 sq km forest area of the State. The direct counting method is based on sightings of elephants, while in the indirect method, surveyors follow a dung decay formula for arriving at an estimate.
As many as 641 select blocks, a block may be of six to seven sq km, have been identified in the State and a three-member team, including a watcher and two beat forest officers, will be engaged in each block.
As many as 120 resources persons have been trained for the census and they will train close to 2,000 field staff.
The direct count will begin on May 17 and the indirect count on May 18.
The third day will be exclusively for collecting information on population structure of the jumbos and will be in open areas where the pachyderms are frequently sighted.
The Periyar Tiger Conservation foundation will coordinate the census.

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Poachers have a free run in unguarded terrains

K.S. Sudhi 
The Hindu,July 6, 2015
KOCHI

The poaching of five elephants in the Edamalayar forest has exposed the chinks in wildlife protection measures. Details of unprotected forest terrains in the State have started emerging.

Senior forest officials said around 150 sq km of thick forest areas bordering the Malayattoor-Vazhachal divisions remain exposed with hardly any protection measures in place. These stretches are beyond the reach of forest protective officials. Perambulation is not possible in these areas. The area where the poaching reportedly took place is around 18 km inside the Edamalayar forest. The terrain is inaccessible too, said an official.

The carcasses of elephants were found in the Karivani and Edamalayar areas. It was inferred that a two-year-old calf and four sub-adults of age up to 25 years were shot dead by the poachers. A group of forest officials who returned after the combing operations in the forest area have brought with them available carcass samples for DNA analysis. This is to determine the age and sex of the slain animals. Though the animals were suspected to be shot dead by the poachers, bullets were not found near the carcass. Metal detectors were used to scan the area to find metal parts of bullets, said an official who took part in the combing operations.

Resource mobilisation

The confessional statement by one of the members of the poaching team has been followed up with a massive mobilisation of men and resources in the forest area. Around 250 officials, split into several teams, have been deployed for combing operations. They are expected to return after ending the four-day operation on Monday, officials said.

A senior official said the beat system of patrolling, which was earlier called off, had thrown open the forest areas to poachers. Perambulation along the Malayattoor-Munnar-Chalakkudi and Chimmini forests needed to be strengthened in the background of recent developments, he said

John Peruvanthanam, chairman of the Western Ghats Protection Council, demanded steps to confiscate the nearly 7,000 illegal country-made guns, mostly held by poachers. He alleged that nearly 90 elephants had been killed during the last decade in the region. Many cases were written off as accidental deaths. There were no protection measures in many sensitive forest areas, he said.

Reviewing the situation, B.S. Corrie, Chief of Forest Force, said the beat system of patrolling and intensive perambulation would be restored. Discussions have been initiated to adopt scientific conservation and protection measures. Modern conservation measures such as e-patrolling, which is being tried out in Wayanad and Periyar areas, would be considered, he said.

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An asylum for elephants at Adavi

PATHANAMTHITTA, April 30, 2014
Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

Adavi, a picturesque forest patch on the banks of river Kallar, will soon become an asylum for orphaned elephants, thanks to an initiative taken up by Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash with the support of Konni Divisional Forest Officer T. Pradeepkumar.

The Forest Department has identified 160 hectares of forest land at Adavi, 10 km from Konni town, for setting up a rehabilitation centre for elephants, especially for rescued, orphaned, injured and abused pachyderms.

The proposal is to develop defunct acacia and teak plantations spread across 160 hectares of forest land into an elephant sanctuary-cum-ecotourism centre strictly adhering to the provisions of forest laws, said Mr. Pradeepkumar.

VSS role

Mr. Pradeepkumar told The Hindu that Vana Samrakshana Samithis (VSS) would be entrusted with the task of running the centre with out disturbing the natural environs and the forest ecosystem.

An ecotourism project would be part of the elephant asylum with a view to spreading public awareness on environment conservation and wildlife protection by bringing man close to the forest environs as well as the wildlife.

According to Mr. Pradeepkumar, elephants calves, separated from their mothers and herds, are often found wandering in the forests and such animals would be brought to the proposed rehabilitation centre. Injured and abused elephants would also be given shelter at the centre.

The Revenue Minister, who is also the local MLA, said the project, estimated to cost Rs.350 lakh, would be implemented in two phases. The government had already sanctioned Rs.100 lakh for the first phase.

Familiarising people with the wild through such projects in an eco-friendly manner would be of great help in reducing excessive human intervention in forests leading to deforestation, fires, and poaching, the DFO said.

Work under way

Mr. Prakash said the work on an arch at the entrance of the proposed centre and a bridge across a stream leading to Kallar was fast progressing.

The DFO said the construction of a bathing ghat and six tree-top huts would also be completed in the next few months. The nearly 5-km river frontage of the project area facing Kallar would be an added attraction to the Adavi ecotourism venture.

Mr. Pradeepkumar said the project has been modelled on the Pannawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka.

An herbal garden, bamboo park, arboretum, honeybee park, butterfly park, bamboo shelters, and a bird-watching facility are the key components that have been included in the first phase of the project.

Trekking facility

The DFO said the Forest Department would also provide facility for coracle rides and rafting along the 15-km stretch of the river between Chengara and Thekkuthode. VSS volunteers would take tourists for a trek into the interior forest.

The department is also planning to set up tree-top walkways and an adventure trekking facility at Adavi in association with the Tourism Department.

The elephant rehabilitation centre would be set up in the second phase, he said.

A mahout training centre, a check dam with water-spread area of two acres for the elephants to take bath, and a breeding place have also been planned in the second phase.

Adavi is hardly 5 km from Mundommoozhy on the Achencoil-Chittar Hill Highway. The elephant camp and museum in Konni town will be the base camp of the eco-tourism initiative.

The forest shrines of Aluvamkudy and Avolikkuzhi are also situated in the area.

Mr. Prakash said the project, when completed, would be the first one of its kind in the country and would attract global attention. It would also generate employment opportunity for the local population in a big way.

He said entry into the Adavi eco-tourism project area would be strictly restricted through a pass system with a view to avoiding excessive human intervention in the forests.

 The Hindu April 30 , 2014

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Mammoth ‘trespass' from forest

A herd of five wild elephants entered into a human habitat from Udedurgam Reserve Forests near Shoolagiri on Sunday. On information, forest officials rushed to the spot and drove the elephants, including three tuskers, back to the Udedurgam Reserve Forest.

Photo: N.A. Nazeer, courtesy Wikimedia commons

District Forest Officer A.K. Ulaganathan said that of the total number of 28 elephants camping at Udedurgam Reserve Forest 16 were driven back near the Panchapalli Dam site via Chinnar River.
A team consisting of 10 anti-poaching watchers from Deverbetta near Thalli bordering Karnataka, 10 each from Ullatti and Pavadaipatti villages and 25 forest staff assembled at Pavadapatti village on Saturday night to oversee the operation.
Meanwhile, the team will resume its operations to drive away a group of 16 pachyderms camping at Panchapalli Dam site by Monday night or Tuesday morning.
The other herd of elephants at Udedurgam will also be driven back to Denkanikottai or Ayyur RF. Meanwhile, K.G. Vimalanathan, Ranger In charge Royakottai, had sustained a minor injury in his leg when he slipped on the ground during the driving operations on Sunday.
He was given first aid immediately at a nearby hospital, Mr. Ulaganathan said.


KRISHNAGIRI, February 13, 2012
TAMIL NADU

The Hindu

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