'Wild jumbos in the south less problematic'

KOZHIKODE: Are the wild elephants located in the forests south of Palakkad Gap less problematic when compared to their northern counterparts when it comes to human-animal conflict?

An expert committee constituted by the state forest department to look into the possibility of releasing a rogue elephant captured recently in Wayanad back into the wild says so. The panel is of the view that the less conflicting behaviour in the elephant population in the south could be linked to their genetic distinctiveness.

Taking the genetic differentiation into consideration, the committee has said in its report that "mix of the conflict animal with the less 'conflicting' south population is not admissible".

The report says that "the distinct genetic population of wild elephants exists to the South of Palakkad Gap and mixing a conflict animal could result in disastrous consequences ".

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