Supreme Court considering report on elephant corridors

The Supreme Court is considering a report led by its
to direct States through which elephant corridors run to submit voluntary relocation/ rehabilitation plans for people who live in these eco-sensitive zones.
A.D.N. Rao has submitted that in case this option is not feasible, the States should take steps
to “acquire and secure” these zones by using funds, including the Compensatory Aorestation Fund.
The States in question include Uttarakhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Kerala,
Arunachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu which has already notied the corridor for elephants in
the Nilgiris in August 2010. These are States which have signicant elephant population
amicus curiae Amicus curiae
and need unhindered passage for their movement. In Tamil Nadu, a report submitted by the
Nilgiris Collector in the apex court in August 2018 revealed that 821 buildings, constructions,
occupancies had encroached on the notied corridor.
Linking habitats
Many included the houses of auent persons. They have been demolished. All except one
building out of 39 resorts within the corridor were found to be illegal and closed down. The
amicus was responding to petitions led by advocate Elephant G. Rajendran and activists urging the court to intervene and direct the States to acquire the critical elephant corridors to ensure safe passage for the pachyderms.
A report by the Ministry of Environment and Forests titled ‘Gajah – Securing the Future for
Elephants in India’ in 2010 said long-term conservation of elephants could be done only by
linking their fragmented habitats.
The has asked the court to order the States concerned to submit proposals to the MoEF so that
critical corridors could be notied as eco-sensitive zones. Mr. Rao recommended the court to
direct the States to include the management of the corridors in the Working Plan of the Territorial Forest Divisions or in the Management Plans of the Protected Areas and Tiger Reserves.

Finally, the asked the court to direct the States and the Centre to ensure that activities in the
corridors be rst referred to the Forest Advisory Committee and Standing Committee of the
National Board for Wildlife for approval.
amicus amicus

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://www.pressreader.com/india/the-hindu/20190323/281663961350409

Early elephant warning systems help, but are short-term measures: experts

Experts on human-elephant conflict have stated that the introduction of early warning systems to warn people about the movements of the pachyderms can help in reducing conflict, but are short-term measures.

“The only advantage is that we know the situation in the field,” Palamu-based elephant expert D S Srivastava told Down To Earth. “But the basic factor regarding elephant habitat management still remains unresolved. Through the warning systems, we are only monitoring the animals and providing people compensation as and when needed. We are not creating good habitats for elephants, which is a long-term mitigation measure,” he said.

Restoration of forest areas especially that of sal and bamboo, is a must, said Srivastava. “We are only looking at short-term solutions,” he added.

Srivastava’s comments came even as projects in Karnataka and Jharkhand have been experimenting with early warning systems for elephants.

In Karnataka, a field study done by Mysuru-based wildlife research organisation, Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), shows that 38 people lost their lives in elephant attacks between 2010 and 2018, with an average of 4.2 persons per year.

Most of the deaths occurred when the victims were out on the roads (24 out of 38 cases), and during 6-10 am and 4-8 pm, when people usually move between home and workplace. In a majority of the cases, the victims were not aware about the presence of elephants.

To tackle this, over the past one-and-a-half years, an early warning system was initiated as a safety measure. NCF, in collaboration with the Karnataka forest department, started bulk SMS and voice call alerts for people, who registered for it on a daily basis. According to NCF scientist Ananda Kumar, some 2,200 families voluntarily agreed to receive alerts on their phones.

Besides this, some 20 digital 24-hour display boards in Kannada have been displayed at critical junctions along roads to warn people about elephant presence. These boards cover around 90 villages, benefiting 35,000 people. The forest department has also established rapid response teams in sensitive areas and a helpline facility to reach out to people immediately.

According to Kumar, these measures have been positively received by people. The number of calls has increased after the initiation of the early warning system. Most calls pertain to enquiry or knowledge regarding elephant presence.

The impact seems positive as the number of deaths declined from an average of five persons per year between 2010 and 2017 to only two persons in 2018. Kumar hopes that these measures will help people avoid direct encounters with elephants, remove fear from their minds and reduce pressure on elephants.

One place where the change has been particularly felt is Hassan district.According to an article published in January in the Tropical Conservation Science, large-scale alterations in land use, like the opening up of abandoned coffee plantations, use of solar fencing and indiscriminate felling of trees in the district have resulted in an increase of human-elephant conflicts.

A K Singh, chief conservator of forest, Hassan, says the early warning system has reduced the injuries and even deaths almost to zero in just a year since its initiation. About 35,000 people are getting warnings about elephant presence and then they become alert. Thus, they do no venture into elephant-infested areas.

But sometimes, people knowingly venture near elephants. “The use of technology is helping us a lot. We are managing people. Sometimes, they get excited and try to take photos, even selfies. Managing animals is easy,” he says.

In Jharkhand, the state forest department has launched a WhatsApp group to warn people about elephant presence and their movement to avoid conflicts. The forest guards inform about the presence of herds, their exact numbers, specific location and movement, and the information is quickly spread through the app, says Sushil Oraon, assistant conservator of forest, Jamshedpur forest division.

However, there are others like Srivastava, who say that early warning systems are not enough. “Immediate stop-gap solutions are there, but long-term measures are needed,” says elephant expert Ajay Desai.

“It is time to move on from these short-term solutions and refer to these as mitigation measures. Long-term solutions include protection of forests and management of elephant populations,” he adds.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/early-elephant-warning-systems-help-but-are-short-term-measures-experts-63311

Indian Villagers Hurl Firebombs at Elephant and Her Calf for 'Damaging Crops’

For centuries, the Asian elephant was regarded as a cultural icon of India. But now, a large number of farmers and civilians view the giant land mammal to be a pest. This was again made evident when a mob of people in an Indian village brutally attacked an elephant and her calf with firebombs.

Two photographs recently surfaced showing elephants crossing a road. Behind them, an angry mob of men can be seen launching flaming missiles at the fleeing pachyderms. As reported by The Independent, the incident occurred in the village of Bishnupur, a remote settlement in West Bengal.

The compelling photographs were captured by Biplab Hazra. His goal being to showcase violence against the endangered species as it attempts to survive in smaller and more fragmented habitats.

Sadly, encounters of the sort captured in Hazra’s photographs are becoming increasingly common. The primary cause of conflict? Deforestation. As land is clear-cut, wild animals are left with less and less space to live. This is causing them to venture into territories occupied by humans.

As the images reveal, villagers are going to extreme lengths to drive elephants from their fields. The land is their livelihood, so one can understand the desperate attempts to scare away the elephants. However, to the observer, it is clear they, too, are simply victims of urban expansion.

Regarding the use of fire, Hazra told Caters News Agency:

“This happens because the villagers have to save their crops. There are many elephant corridors in human habitations. I’m trying to show this and spread my photos to increase public awareness on the matter.”

Each day, elephants spend up to 19 hours foraging for food. During this time, they also produce 220 pounds of feces. The elephant is a gargantuan land mammal that requires ample space to roam freely. If this need isn’t met, the elephants will continue to search for food elsewhere.

This reality needs to be realized by all, not only the Indian villagers who rely on the elephant’s dung to germinate their crops. To survive into the 22nd century, mammals will need the help of humankind. Discovering a tactic to resolve these conflicts is of the utmost importance. Otherwise, elephants — both African and Asian — may one day only exist in history books.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://themindunleashed.com/2019/01/indian-villagers-hurl-firebombs-elephant.html

Wild elephants kill 2 men in Chhattisgarh’s Surajpur district

Korba, January 5

Two men were trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants at separate places in Chhattisgarh’s Surajpur district, officials said on Saturday.

Both the incidents occurred near Surajpur town on Friday, Divisional Forest Officer (Surajpur division) BP Singh said.

In the incident that took place near Shivprasad Nagar village on Friday morning, 52-year-old Ramlal Jaiswal was trampled upon by pachyderms when he had gone to relieve himself in a nearby farm, he said.

Subsequently, the herd went on the rampage and damaged three houses and a motorcycle, the DFO added.

Later, when forest personnel and villagers were trying to chase away the herd into forest in the evening, one Ram Lakhan Sahu, 70, came face to face with jumbos who killed him on the spot, Singh said.

Kin of the deceased persons had been provided immediate relief of Rs 25,000 each while remaining compensation would be given upon completion of all formalities, the DFO added. PTI

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/wild-elephants-kill-2-men-in-chhattisgarh-s-surajpur-district/709081.html

Watch: Elephants enjoy bath at Thekkampatti rejuvenation camp

Elephants from different temple in Tamil Nadu rejuvenated by taking long baths at the annual camp at Thekkampatti in Mettupalayam. Elephants from all over Tamil Nadu join the annual temple elephant rejuvenation camp that started on 14th December and will continue for 48 days. The annual elephant rejuvenation camp will conclude on 30th January, 2019. The annual event at Thekkampatti in Mettupalayam have sheds, cooking area and bathing area for the tuskers. A team of veterinarians is also part of the camp to conduct medical check-ups for the pachyderms and elephants will be treated for existing diseases.
(Visited 2 times, 1 visits today)

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://in.nayi.tv/260651/watch-elephants-enjoy-bath-at-thekkampatti-rejuvenation-camp/

SC asks WB govt to follow Centre's guidelines on management of human-elephant conflicts

The Supreme Court told the West Bengal government Tuesday to follow the Centre's guidelines on management of human-elephant conflicts to ensure a smooth movement of the animals and reduce the possibility of their death or damage of crops.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur said this after the counsel appearing for West Bengal said they were willing to abide by the "guidelines for management of human-elephants conflict" issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

The West Bengal government also said it would consult the Wildlife Institute of India on using new or commonly used methods to reduce the number of incidents of human-elephant conflict.

"No technology is available today to guide elephants. Unlike in Africa, in India, we have not mapped the corridors (for the movement of elephants). The corridors are changing. As of now, we only have the old technology of using a 'mashal' (fire torch) to guide the elephants. We are serious that we do not want any injury or death of elephants," the state's counsel said.

He added that the migration season of elephants would start soon and they would train people so that no injury was inflicted upon the pachyderms.

The counsel appearing for the petitioner, who had raised the issue of the use of spikes and fireballs in some states to drive away elephants, said "mashal" or fire should not be allowed to be used in the process.

"The problem is that animals are sensitive to fire and heat. Heat might lead to chaos among elephants or any other animals," the petitioner's lawyer said, adding, "Fire is not a solution."

However, the state's counsel said if "mashal" was not used, then there would be "uncontrolled movement" of elephants and in that case, people might take the law into their hands.

He also made it clear that the state was not averse to any suggestion as it was not treating the issue raised as adversarial.

The lawyer said they had not used spikes to drive away elephants in the state.

He also said that according to the apex court's direction, they had placed before the bench the names and designations of the forest department officials, who would be held responsible for any accident due to the use of fire torch.

At the fag end of the hearing, the counsel appearing for the Centre told the court that a meeting was held on November 22 and the authorities had "in-principle" agreed to set up a high-powered committee to oversee adherence to the guidelines on the management of human-animal conflicts across the country.

The Centre said four weeks' time would be needed to form the committee.

The bench then posted the matter for further hearing in the third week of January.

On October 22, the court had observed that human-animal conflicts, especially involving elephants, were a "problem" and the Centre should consider setting up a task force to ensure adherence to the guidelines in this regard.

The top court had earlier termed the use of spikes and fireballs to drive away elephants "barbaric" and directed the states to desist from using such methods.

The directions of the court had come after it was told that these methods were allegedly being adopted in states, including Karnataka, West Bengal and Jharkhand.

The Karnataka government had earlier told the court that in July itself, the state authority had written to all the officers concerned for removing the spikes.

The counsel for West Bengal had said the state had issued guidelines that none of these harmful things would be used to drive away elephants.

Similarly, the Jharkhand government had also said it had not imposed any restrictions on the movement of wild elephants.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/sc-asks-wb-govt-to-follow-centre-s-guidelines-on-management-of-human-elephant-conflicts-118120401143_1.html

Autopsy confirms jumbos died of electric shock

MADURAI: Two female elephants were electrocuted in Cumbum East
Range of Meghamalai forest, Theni district, a location that has already
seen an alarming number of pachyderms lose life after coming into
contact with high-tension wire over the past five months.

Following reports of elephant carcasses being spotted in the forest, a
team of officials reached the area and conducted post-mortem confirming
that the jumbos died of electric shock. They said the deaths are mostly
happening after the animals come into contact with loosely hanging
electric line that carries power to Kayathar from Lower Camp.

Although the officials have taken up the issue with the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation, the electricity officials are yet to respond. The death of two jumbos came to light on Monday when foresters were on their routine beat patrol.

A team visited the spot on Tuesday and conducted the post-mortem.

The group comprised of Meghamalai Wildlife Warden Kalanithi, Cumbum forest range officer D Dinesh, government veterinary doctor Selvam and representatives from two non-governmental organisations reached the spot after four-hour trekking. Dinesh said that one elephant was aged between 7 and 9 years while the other was between 10 and 12 years. They could have come
into contact with the wire while climbing mound. The incident took place between 47th and 48th electric towers.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/autopsy-confirms-jumbos-died-of-electric-shock/articleshow/66835745.cms

Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary is a Perfect Place For Spotting The Elephant

Established in 1976 by Sanjay Gandhi, Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across an area of 195 square kilometre in the city of Jamshedpur in Jharkhand. The sanctuary lies in the catchment area of Subarnarekha River offering a great habitat for wildlife to exist. Exploring the pristine ecosystem surrounded with dense forests, rare wildlife, and lush hills can make for a relaxing vacation.

If you’re forever enamoured by the idea of giant elephants amidst dense forests, then this is the place for you. You could easily run amok them and have a great time capturing them on camera; Dalma gives you the scope of being free around wildlife. There’s a lot of other rare species like the big-eared pachyderms, leopard, barking deer, deer, sloth bear, and giant squirrel that you will find here.

There’s also an ancient Lord Shiva Temple inside the sanctuary which holds great importance among the locals. People from all walks of life visit the temple to offer prayers on the occasion of Mahashivratri. After the shrine, you can also visit the Dalma Mai Shrine after whom this sanctuary has been named.

If you’re a hardcore wildlife enthusiast and want information related to all the flora and fauna of the region, head to the Museum- cum-Interpretation Centre at Makula Kocha. It has been established to promote the biological and zoological research of the vegetation and species of the sanctuary.

Try and stay at the bamboo huts in Makula Kocha. It’ll be an experience to be in the lap of nature, surrounded by an abundance of flora. There are single bamboo huts as well as plush cottages that you could choose from.

The best time to visit is between October and March because the temperature (26 degree celsius) is just right to explore the sanctuary during the day. At night, the temperature drops to 11 degree celsius; nice and chilly to huddle around with a hot drink in hand.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://www.india.com/news-travel/you-can-walk-amid-wildlife-at-dalma-wildlife-sanctuary-in-jharkhand-3448450/

Odisha discoms to disconnect power during elephant movement

Bhubaneswar, Nov 16 The Odisha government has asked the power distribution companies (discoms) to disconnect power supply in elephant corridors during the movement of pachyderms, said an official on Friday.

The direction of the state government came after it drew flak following the death of several elephants including seven in Dhenkanal district due to electrocution recently.

"The death of elephants due to electrocution in recent times has been a matter of great concern. In this regard it is requested to disconnect power supply in elephant corridors as well as movement areas on getting credible information from Forest Department or any reliable sources regarding movement of elephants/ wildlife in the said areas," said Energy Department Special Secretary Surajit Das in a letter to the discoms.

Further, it is requested to ensure reconnection of power supply after ascertaining safe exit of wildlife from the said area, he informed.

"This instruction must be followed meticulously and any deviation will be seriously viewed by the government," Das added.

Union Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi recently requested Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take urgent measures to stop elephant deaths in the state.

In a letter, she alleged that distribution companies are being given a free hand in elephant corridors without necessary oversight.

Seven elephants had died of electrocution under Dhenkanal Sadar forest range last month.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/odisha-discoms-to-disconnect-power-during-elephant-movement/1423016

Maneka Gandhi calls for urgent measures to arrest elephant deaths in Odisha

New Delhi: Expressing “grief and horror” at the recent electrocution of
seven elephants in Odisha, Union women and child development minister

Maneka Gandhi has written to Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik to
intervene with “urgent and resolute measures to arrest elephant deaths” in the state.

Gandhi goes on to say that the recent electrocution of seven tuskers in
Dhenkanal, which is the highest such death-toll in a single incident, has
caused furore throughout the nation about the reprehensible state of elephant protection in Odisha.

The WCD minister points that this comes at the back of dismal statistics
wherein it is learned over 435 elephants have died in the state since 2011-17, out of which 124 or a whopping 28 percent
casualties have taken place due to accidents and electrocution. “It is tragic to note that a dozen magnificent pachyderms are
dying every year due to mismanagement and incoordination between government agencies,” Gandhi added “What is more disappointing is that this alarming trend of preventable elephant deaths in Odisha has continued unabated even
after the AK Biswal committee established by the ministry of environment and forests, in 2010, had laid down clear guidelines for mandatory protection system, regular inspection of electrical distribution networks by the electrical inspectorate and forest department officials,” she has pointed out in the letter.

“In a case of morbid déjà vu, the committee had also reprimanded four power distribution companies for not maintaining adequate pole to pole distance, thus causing sagging and non-maintenance of conductor height in forest and village areas – the same blunder which claimed the life of seven elephants in Dhenkanal last month,” Gandhi has stated.

She goes on to point that “it is clear from the current state of affairs that the AK Biswal committee recommendations have not been followed and there are rampant reports of distribution companies being given a free hand in elephant corridors without necessary oversight.” She has urged the Odisha CM to take necessary action against the officials who failed to put the AK Biswal committee recommendations in to practice in the state.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/maneka-gandhi-calls-for-urgent-measures-to-arrest-elephant-deaths-in-odisha/articleshow/66641693.cms

Stop Rampant Flouting Of Rules, Save Elephants, Maneka Writes To Naveen

New Delhi: Expressing her ‘grief and horror’ at the elephant deaths in Odisha, Union Minister of Women & Child Development, Maneka Gandhi, has urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take urgent measures to stop elephant deaths in Odisha.

“The recent electrocution of seven tuskers in Dhenkanal, which is the highest such death toll in a single incident, has caused furore throughout the nation about the reprehensible state of elephant protection in Odisha,” Maneka wrote.

“It comes at the back of dismal statistics wherein 124 or a whopping 28 per cent casualties have taken place due to accidents and electrocution. It is tragic to note that a dozen magnificent pachyderms are dying every year due to mismanagement and incoordination between government agencies,” Maneka added.

Citing reports, she alleged that distribution companies are being given a free hand in elephant corridors without necessary oversight.

In the letter, the Union Minister also mentioned that the National Green Tribunal has imposed a fine Rs 1 crore on CESU while a probe has been launched into the Dhenkanal incident.

Expressing her disappointment on the elephants’ death, the Union Minister said that even after laying guidelines under the Shri A K Biswal committee by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the alarming trend of elephant deaths has continued unabated.

“I also urge you to take necessary action against the officials who failed to put the A K Biswal Committee recommendations into practice in the State,” Gandhi wrote.

Terming the elephants of Odisha as ‘the pride of India’, she wrote, “We owe a debt to our future generations for their welfare and safety.”

On October 22, seven elephants had died due to electrocution under Dhenkanal Sadar forest range. Similarly, on September 5, two elephants had died after being electrocuted in Jajpur district.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://odishatv.in/odisha/stop-rampant-flouting-of-rules-save-elephants-maneka-writes-to-naveen-333194

Linking your cup of Assam tea to elephant conservation

Areas where the pachyderms seek refuge outside of protected areas, such as tea and other agricultural plantations, could be manipulated to manage human-elephant conflicts.

The Elephant Friendly Tea programme serves as an incentive to tea producers to reduce the impacts of tea agriculture, such as ditch hazards and fencing, on elephants.

Tea plantations are generally used as ‘stepping stones’ or ‘rest stops’ by elephants as they move through a human-dominated landscape.

Communities in proximity to elephant refuges were significantly more likely to experience conflict with elephants, predominantly in the form of crop raiding or damage to granaries.

With forest cover projected to shrink in the elephant landscape of northeast India, conservationists and a handful of growers of the iconic Assam and Darjeeling teas are experimenting with a mix of ideas to link tea farming to conservation.

India is the second largest tea grower after China and the 172-year old Assam tea industry in northeast India leads the country’s tea production.

According to 2011 census, the population of Assam forms 2.58 percent of India.

Assam with an elephant area (15, 050 square km) the size of East Timor, is India’s prime elephant range state, harbouring 5719 jumbos, the highest population of wild elephants in the country after Karnataka.

While connoisseurs across the world deliberate on the perfect cuppa, tensions mount as habitats shrink and sprawling tea estates block historic migratory passages of the jumbos, stoking incidences of man-elephant conflicts in the state.

As recent as last month (October 2018), tea garden workers laid seige at the residence of the garden’s manager after a herd of wild elephants reportedly trampled a labourer engaged in plucking leaves, in Assam’s Udalguri district, along the scenic India-Bhutan border.

But small tea farmer Tenzing Bodosa, who owns two gardens in Assam’s Udalguri district, takes pride in the fact that his farm produces certified elephant-friendly tea.

Transboundary walking routes

Herds of wild elephants move back and forth with the seasons across the international border between India and Bhutan.

Bodosa’s farms totalling 40 acres have been certified as the world’s first elephant-friendly tea farms under Elephant FriendlyTM Tea program, a partnership of Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network and the University of Montana Broader Impacts Group.

Bodosa, who switched to organic farming methods around 10 to 12 years ago maintains a small refuge patch like a forest as an extension of his farm. Unlike other growers in the area, there are no drainage ditches where the ambling pachyderms can fall into or fences that hinder their progress.

“I preserve plants such as bamboo, elephant grass and different fruit plants that elephants prefer in their habitat. I have a buffer area where I maintain forest patches where the elephants come. We do not use pesticides or poisons. During day-time they take shelter and then towards evening they move out,” Bodosa told Mongabay India.

The certification program serves as an incentive to tea producers to reduce the impacts of tea agriculture on elephants, observed Lisa Mills, liason for University of Montana on this project.

Adherence to certification standards helps wild elephants by reducing the blockage of elephant corridors, lowering human-elephant conflict, eliminating electrocution and poisoning risks and mitigating ditch hazards, Mills said.

It also replaces habitat loss with habitat recovery and supporting landscape connectivity and foraging opportunities for far-ranging wild elephants in a human-dominated landscape.

“With a percentage of every sale going back to support elephant conservation in the communities where the tea is grown, tea drinkers can directly support human-elephant co-existence.”

From your cuppa to elephant habitat

Apart from Bodosa’s farms, the 1200 acre Nuxalbari Tea Estate in Darjeeling in northern West Bengal has become the first large tea estate in the world to be certified as elephant-friendly this year. West Bengal, on the east coast, is intersected with inter-state and inter-country elephant corridors.

Sonia Jabbar, who runs the organic tea estate, had initiated human-animal conflict mitigation and conservation steps seven years before coming across the certification programme.

“We have made a commitment to abstain from violence and protect elephant herds as they visit our gardens. It is heart wrenching to see how elephants are hounded and chased away with sticks, stones and fireworks in what was once their migratory routes. We would have continued with our efforts whether we received the certification or not,” Jabbar said.

For instance, the estate’s Haathi Saathi (elephant is a friend) initiative educates and sensitises workers’ children while security guards are trained to let the jumbos pass through unharmed.

India with 27, 312 elephants is also home to 60 percent of the global population of Asian elephants.

Kushal Konwar Sarma, noted elephant veterinarian and veteran conservationist, explained that vast swathes of forests were alienated for tea plantations in 19th century Assam under the then British government as part of their “wasteland grants.”

The book “Playing with Nature: History and Politics of Environment in North-East India” states that “in the face of huge expanse of forested areas and the discovery of tea, imperial interests came to include forests within the connotation of ‘wastelands’, something that is waste and so becomes necessary to put to productive use.”

“These plantation areas were government lands on lease to the tea companies, they do not belong to the tea gardens. It was a condition given by the British government initially that we are giving you this plot of land on lease for tea plantation but you have to leave ten percent of the area for wildlife. But people forgot about it and only a handful of tea gardens are following this,” Sarma told Mongabay-India.

“When we started our conservation work we realised that elephants need a place to rest, they need some food and water. Tea is not palatable to the elephants. We formed the idea of community elephant refuges where people can maintain a forest of couple of hectares with a perennial source of water which we can do with the help of the bigger tea gardens and the whole area can be replanted with food trees for the elephants,” Sarma said.

Tea gardens as part of elephant-friendly landscape?

Elephants see tea gardens as an extension of their forest habitats, but it is difficult to convince people to act on it by introducing refuge patches, Sarma concedes.

“They say ‘why to bring the trouble to your courtyard’ but we counter them by pointing out that the trouble is already here. These elephants are hungry, they are on empty stomachs, they are like tsunamis, they break through your houses and raid crops. But if you create a refuge, they will visit your villages but they will visit like gentle ocean waves,” he said.

“We have managed to convince some good tea garden managers in Udalguri and Sonitpur districts. They have earmarked areas for wildlife. These areas are frequented by elephants,” observed Sarma.

Scott Wilson, co-author of a 2013 study that analysed elephant occurrence and related instances of human–elephant conflict from two sites in Assam, said tea plantations in themselves could potentially be considered as part of a larger more elephant friendly landscape.

He iterated that areas where the pachyderms seek refuge (tea and other agricultural plantations rather than national parks or other significant natural habitats) could be manipulated to manage human-elephant conflicts.

But these measures are more of a “firefighting” mechanism, according to Wilson and Sarma.

“Realistically, resources are probably better focussed on protecting and expanding the core elephant habitats within India and protecting elephant populations providing the best probabilities of long term persistence,” Wilson, Head of Field Programmes, Chester Zoo, told Mongabay-India.

Chester Zoo’s Valerie de Liedekerke who manages the Assam Haathi Project adds that there may be instances where key elephant habitats could be effectively ‘connected’ using mitigation and improved refuges, but she suspects these instances will be rare.

“I wouldn’t advocate that efforts shouldn’t be made to improve elephant conservation and welfare in these plantations, just that they need to be realistically assessed when considering the wider elephant landscape and where strategic investment of effort should be,” Liedekerke said.

Sarma said the inevitable is already happening.

“Everyday elephants are dying of electrocution, poisoning, farmers are killing them, somebody is killing them for ivory, trains are running over them across the country. If you target one species like this then how long will they survive,” he wondered.

Official figures show nearly 800 people were killed by wild elephants in Assam between 2006 and 2016. As many as 72 elephants were killed between 2013 and 2014, with more than 100 killed in 2012.

Forest cover in Lesser Himalayan elephant landscape predicted to fall

Assam’s forests and its elephant corridors are reeling under encroachment pressure. Studies by the Wildlife Trust of India reveal that in northeast India 52.2 percent of elephant corridors are under settled cultivation and 43.4 percent under slash and burn cultivation.

Indian government data has linked tea gardens to a decrease in forest cover in some Assam districts.

“The decrease in forest cover in some districts is mainly due to rotational felling in tea gardens, shifting cultivation and developmental activities,” the environment ministry’s State of the Forest report said in 2017.

A 2018 study that monitored the reduction of forest cover in parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh over 42,375 square km in an elephant landscape falling in the Lesser Himalaya in the northeast, predicted a further likely decrease of 9007.14 square km by 2028.

The analysis which covered a vast elephant landscape spread across West Bengal-Assam, Assam-Bhutan and Assam-Arunachal Pradesh borders in the lesser Himalayas, found “an alarming, continuous” loss of about 7,590 square km (17.92 per cent) of forest cover from 1924 to 2009.

The area under tea gardens also increased during the study period. Other non-forest

categories too showed progressive increase in area in time and space, and a further increase is expected by 2028. Area under tea gardens is expected increase from 713. 97 square km in 2009 to 720.54 square km in 2028, the study said.

Wilson, whose study extended to the tea garden dominated Sonitpur district, also referred to as the ground-zero of human elephant conflict, said the animals used the tea plantations (in Sonitpur site) as ‘stepping stones’ as they move through a human-dominated landscape.

“Taking refuge in the plantations during the day and then moving out during the night to continue their migration or sometimes to just use the tea plantations as a ‘base’ for periods from which they will then forage in outlying cropland during the night,” Wilson told Mongabay-India.

There is evidence to show that they raid crops or grain stores of communities that surround tea plantations, said Wilson.

Wild elephants also use the elongated and narrow gardens along the southern banks of the Brahmaputra river while moving to and from the Kaziranga National Park and Karbi-Anglong hills, observed Sarma.

The problem of plenty

Wilson’s study elaborates that the tea garden communities are largely composed of immigrant labourers, and such communities may not have the experience of dealing with elephants or share the local tolerant attitude towards elephants, which is influenced by religion.

The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change highlights that development activities and houses in movement path of elephants (especially labour lines in tea gardens) are also causes of encounter between human and elephants leading to conflict.

These communities live on the edge of tea gardens, which function as refuge areas, and are therefore situated in high-risk areas for human–elephant conflict.

“Our study found that communities in proximity to refuges (whether this be forest patches or tea plantations) were significantly more likely to experience conflict with elephants (predominantly in the form of crop raiding or damage to granaries),” said Wilson.

Ideally refuge areas need to be forest corridors rather than tea plantation – these would have wider wildlife and ecological benefits, he added.

But in many areas the domination of people in the landscape makes this prospect very difficult – in terms of acquisition of land to make into refuge but also the fact that it potentially invites greater conflict for the communities surrounding these refuges, Wilson said.

Such an undertaking would therefore need very strong stakeholder support and mitigation measures to enable communities to coexist with elephants.

Sarma said we have collectively allowed human population to grow beyond the carrying capacity of the land.

“This is an ecology fragile area and is a biodiversity hotspot and we need to preserve sanctity of the place. Politically motivated trans-migration of people (pre- and post-Independence) was engineered. In addition, almost one crore of tea garden labourers come from Bihar, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh. So when people are here, they need land for survival and now elephants have nowhere to go,” Sarma bemoaned.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://india.mongabay.com/2018/11/14/linking-your-cup-of-assam-tea-to-elephant-conservation/

Elephant Deaths In Odisha: Maneka Urges CM Naveen To Take Measures

New Delhi: Expressing grief over the elephant deaths in Odisha, Union Minister of Women & Child Development, Maneka Gandhi, has urged Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take urgent measures for the safety and welfare of the pachyderms.

In a letter to the Odisha CM, Maneka wrote: “The recent electrocution of seven tuskers in Dhenkanal, which is the highest such death toll in a single incident, has caused furore throughout the nation about the reprehensible state of elephant protection in Odisha.”

“It comes at the back of dismal statistics wherein 124 or a whopping 28 per cent casualty has taken place due to accidents and electrocution. It is tragic to note that a dozen magnificent pachyderms are dying every year due to mismanagement and in coordination between government agencies,” Maneka added.

The Union Minister while citing reports alleged that distribution companies are being given a free hand in elephant corridors without necessary oversight.

In the letter, the Maneka also mentioned that the National Green Tribunal has imposed a fine Rs 1 crore on CESU while a probe has been launched into the Dhenkanal incident.

Expressing her disappointment on the elephants’ death, the Union Minister said that even after laying guidelines under the AK Biswal committee by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the alarming trend of elephant deaths goes unabated.

“I also urge you to take necessary action against the officials who failed to put the AK Biswal Committee recommendations into practice in the State,” Maneka wrote.

Terming the elephants of Odisha as ‘the pride of India’, she wrote, “We owe a debt to our future generations for their welfare and safety.”

On October 22, seven elephants had died due to electrocution under Dhenkanal Sadar forest range. Similarly, on September 5, two elephants had died after being electrocuted in Jajpur district.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
http://pragativadi.com/elephant-deaths-in-odisha-maneka-urges-cm-naveen-to-take-measures/

Jumbo population doubles in Andhra Pradesh

Direct sighting method used to arrive at the figure

The population of elephants has doubled in Andhra Pradesh in the past decade, despite the pachyderms taking the lives of 13 people in the forests of north Andhra Pradesh since early 2008.

Srikakulam District Forest Officer Ch. Shanti Swaroop told The Hindu that the casualties occurred in the districts of Srikakulam and Vizianagaram.

Ironically, the incident of irate villagers killing one elephant and burying it in a field in Srikakulam district in 2010 forced the forest authorities to chalk out plans to address the intensified conflict between forest dwellers and elephants. The Synchronized Elephant Population Estimation, India, 2017, published by the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) throws light on the situation. “The total number of elephants reported was between 55 and 65 in Andhra Pradesh; 30 in Chittoor West, 24 in Tirupati forest division and 4 in Srikakulam division.”

Regular movements

According to the Elephant Division of the MoEFCC, a total of 28 elephants was reported in A.P in 2007, 41 in 2012 and 65 in 2017.

Given the regular movements of a few herds between Andhra forests and the ones in Odisha and Karnataka, the number of total elephants was estimated between 55 and 65 as per the ‘direct sighting’ method of the census. The census is normally carried out once in four years, the next census will come out in 2022.

“It is a celebrating development that the population of the elephants in A.P has doubled. Having the data on the gender of the elephants is one of the key factors to come up with scientific reports on the growth of the elephants’ population in future,” wildlife biologist Rakesh Kalwa told The Hindu.

Associated with the Hyderabad-based Wildlife Research and Conservation Society, Mr. Rakesh is engaged in documenting the gender of the elephants in the State. “Our findings on the gender during the 2017 census does not support for scientific conclusions on the gender. However, the next census will mostly have scientific data on the gender,” he said.

Mr. Rakesh says pachyderms roaming in northern Andhra are more ferocious than the others in the State.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/jumbo-population-doubles-in-andhra-pradesh/article25484035.ece

Odisha fast turning into graveyard for elephants

The death of seven elephants on October 27 at Kamalanga in Dhenkanal district of Odisha due to electrocution has allegedly exposed the state government’s apathy and inaction to ensure safe habitats for the big mammals.

Bhubaneswar: Odisha, the eastern Indian province whose rulers in the past were known as the Gajapati Maharajas or rulers of the elephants, is no longer a safe place for the jumbo animals. It was the state which boasted of having the countrys highest number of pachyderms.

Manmade disasters coupled with the state governments inaction have rendered the state a deadly graveyard for the elephants.

Since May 2017, 121 wild elephants have died. Of them, 25 were electrocuted either by sagging power lines or hooking of live wires by poachers.

The death of seven elephants at Kamalanga in Dhenkanal district on October 27 has exposed the state governments “apathy” and “inaction” to ensure safe habitats for the big mammals. This mass electrocution, said to the biggest-ever electrocution tragedy in India, has shaken the wildlife lovers and conservationists across the world.

In fact, the National Green Tribunal has taken the Kamalanga incident seriously and slapped a suo motu case against the Central Electricity Supply Utility (CESU) of Odisha. Besides, it has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 crore on the power distribution company for its alleged negligence that led to the death of seven elephants.

Wildlife activists have blamed the present forest and environment minister Bijayashree Routray for the tragedy and registered their protest at the office of the chief minister.

“Our state Odisha, known for its magnificent elephants, has turned into a graveyard for elephants. We wish to record our disappointment over the worrying performance of the current minister. Since May 2017 when he (minister Bijayshree Routray) took over charge, we are dismayed to note that 121 wild elephants have died. In a similar incident on the June 9, 2017, bodies of three electrocuted elephants were recovered in decomposed conditions near Borapada in Dhenkanal district,” Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of Wildlife Society of Odisha, wrote to chief minister Naveen Patnaik. 

There are hundreds of sagging electric line points where a similar tragedy is imminent.

In a ghastly incident on April 16 this year, four elephants were mowed down by a train near Telidihi in Jharsuguda district due to poor coordination. No enquiry was conducted to ascertain the role of the local divisional forest officer (DFO), but lower level forest staff members were suspended.

Earlier on July 29, 2917, a train had killed an elephant in Sundargarh district followed by one more case of an elephant hit by a train in Dhenkanal on April 21 this year.

“Had the minister taken up this matter seriously, these elephants would be alive today,” said Mr Mohanty. 

Wildlife protection activists find lack of coordination between the forest officials and the railways to check accidental deaths of the elephants. 

Another shocking fact is that the poaching of adult male elephants for ivory continues unabated in Odisha with nothing being done to check the poachers.

In the last 18 months, hunters have allegedly poached nine adult males.

In February 2018, in quick succession, two adult male elephants were found with their tusks hacked off by poachers in the Badamba range of Athagarh division. On October 17, another adult male died in the adjoining Narsinghpur East range.

In December 2017, two professional elephant poachers from Arunachal Pradesh were apprehended in Keonjhar, but there has been no headway in the investigation to uncover the network. Odisha has lost 28 adult male elephants during the tenure of this minister which is a huge loss considering the fact that these were breeding males.

Open wells continue to be a threat to elephants and other wildlife. Since May 2017, 44 wild animals have fallen into open wells. There were 15 elephants among them, of which four died.

Human-elephant conflict has also gone up sharply in the last 18 months. As many as 141 men and women were killed and 102 injured in this turmoil.

During 2017-18, Odisha recorded the unfortunate death of 84 humans, the highest till date. For the last seven months, 57 persons have died and 53 have been injured.

The disbursement of compassionate payments for crop damage has continued to be woeful despite the Odisha Right to Services Act of 2012.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
http://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/051118/odisha-fast-turning-into-graveyard-for-elephants.html

Supreme Court makes trunk call to count captive elephants

In a bid to protect captive elephants and ensure that they are not tortured and overworked, the Supreme Court on Thursday made it mandatory for all states to carry out a survey of captive pachyderms.

The SC wants the survey to be completed before December 31, 2018. It said that owners need to have a certificate to retain the elephants.

The court issued these instructions on a petition filed by Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre seeking protection of elephants and implementation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act 1960. Women and Child Development minister Maneka Gandhi claimed that the elephant population in India has dwindled to 26,000. Out of these, 3,500 are in captivity.

The states will have to submit a report to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change before the second week of January 2019 when the case is listed for next the hearing.

Elephant rides are a big hit among tourists, at Amber Fort in Rajasthan and Kerala. The government authorised jumbo rides are included on the roster for domestic and international visitors.

The Supreme Court has directed Chief Wild Life Warden of every state to "ascertain and identify" elephants in captivity.

The court has also directed the wardens to ensure the owners of captive elephants have ownership certificate. If they do not, then same may be granted provisionally.

The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had claimed that none of the elephants ferrying tourists at Amber Fort, Rajasthan are registered with the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI).

In September, the Rajasthan High Court had issued notices to Rajasthan on how elephant rides were being allowed without registration. In another case, animal activist Gauri Maulekhi cited an AWBI report claiming that 10 of the 102 elephants lodged at Elephant Village, Amber, were suffering from tuberculosis. Nineteen elephants were also found to be blind.

Jumbo Facts

26,000 is the elephant population in India

3,500 elephants are in captivity

10 of the 102 elephants lodged at Elephant Village in Amber suffer from tuberculosis; 19 elephants are blind (AWBI report)

Elephant rides are major tourist attractions in Rajasthan and Kerala

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://www.dnaindia.com/jaipur/report-supreme-court-makes-trunk-call-to-count-captive-elephants-2682183

Two wild elephants radio collared in Hassan district

Hassan, Karnataka, Nov 2 (UNI) In order to monitor the movement of wild elephants in Hassan
district the forest department has radio collared for two female elephants during the last 24
hours.

Forest officials said an elephant was radio collared near Magalu village and the other pachyderm
was successfully sedated and the collars were put on it near Rajendrapura last evening.

The department has also got permission to capture two tuskers.

“With the help of the radio collar, we have been able to track the movement of the elephant
herds using a mobile application,” said Sivaram Babu, Deputy Conservator of Forests.

The officers began the operation identified another female elephant. The staff succeeded in
separating the animal with the help of tame elephants and tranquilised it.

Meanwhile, local people wanted officers to capture a problematic tusker spotted in the same
locality. However, the officers stated that they would capture the animal later. “The elephant was
in ‘must’. We could not take up the operation. We will resume the operation tomorrow. We have
to attach collars to two more elephants and capture two tuskers,” he said.

A team of three veterinarians, Mujeeb Rahman, Murali and Vinay, are assisting the officers in
the operation.
UNI BSP RS HVB1410

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
http://www.uniindia.com/two-wild-elephants-radio-collared-in-hassan-district/south/news/1395368.html

Thrissur: SC notice on jumbo race

Thrissur: The Supreme Court has ordered to send legal notice to the Guruvayur Devaswom managing committee based on a petition to ban the annual elephant race at Guruvayur temple.

The petition was filed by the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (WRRC) in Bangalore on the basis of another petition pending before the SC citing the alleged atrocities meted out to captive elephants in 12 states in India.

“The petition to ban the annual jumbo race was filed several months ago and the SC took it up for hearing on Thursday. The WRRC counsel told the court about the torture suffered by the pachyderms during the race and said the show was held as an entertainment for the crowd,” Suparna Ganguly, WRRC chairperson, said.

Ten among the elephants of the devaswom are selected by the veterinary doctors of the GD to take part in the ‘Aanayottam’ of which five are selected through a draw to run the 500-metre race from Manjulal to the eastern entrance tower of the temple. Suparna Ganguly was earlier assigned by the Animal Welfare Board of India to file a report on the plight of nearly 50 elephants owned by GD at its elephant sanctuary near Punnathur Kotta, three km from the temple.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/021118/thrissur-sc-notice-on-jumbo-race.html

Three persons injured in attack by wild elephants

Jorhat, Oct 22 (PTI) Three persons were injured when wild elephants attacked them at Neamatighat in upper Assam’s Jorhat district, Forest department officials said Monday.

Three wild elephants had entered the area in search of food and attacked three persons, damaged seven huts and five shops on Sunday night, said Forest department official Tonkeswar Gayan here.

A Forest department team reached the area and blank fired to scare away the three pachyderms toward Kartik Chapori, Gayan said.

The three jumbos have got separated from a herd of 150 elephants suspected to have come from Sivasagar side and loitering around in Sivasagar, Jorhat, Kaziranga, Titabor along the shore areas of the Brahmaputra river for several years, Jorhat Forest Range Officer, Dipak Bora said Monday.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://www.india.com/news/agencies/three-persons-injured-in-attack-by-wild-elephants-3393297/