Coimbatore Collector seeks translocation of wild elephant

Writes to Chief Wildlife Warden after farmers appeal for an end to damage to crops, houses
Coimbatore Collector T.N. Hariharan has requested the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW), Tamil Nadu, to take necessary steps to translocate a wild elephant that has been damaging crops and houses in the Thadagam valley near Coimbatore city.

The letter was sent to the CWW on Tuesday, a day after 150 farmers from Thadagam valley petitioned the District Collector, seeking the translocation of wild elephants that are entering villages.

The letter seeks capture and translocation of one male wild elephant while two male elephants -- Chinna Thambi and Vinayagan, as named by villagers -- were damaging crops in the valley.

The letter said that a male wild elephant was causing problems to the farmers and the public in peripheral areas such as Varapalayam, Pannimadai, Periyathadagam, and Chinnathadagam for the last six months. The animal damaged crops such as tomato, maize, banana and coconut cultivated in areas adjoining the forest.

“Several steps have been taken by the Forest officials to drive the elephant into the deep forest. But, the elephant often returns to these places and causes damages,” said the letter.

In October and November, five persons were killed in the attack of wild elephants in Coimbatore Forest Division.

The deceased included a member of a Rapid Response Team of the Forest Department engaged in frontline works.

A senior official from the Forest Department said that it was for the CWW to take a final call on issuing orders to capture and translocate the wild elephant.

“Capture and translocation should be the last resort if other measures of mitigating the situation fail. The Forest Department is expected to take a decision which balances the Nature and the sentiments and concerns of the farmers,” said Ajay Desai, consultant for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and member of Asian elephants specialist group of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

P. Kandasamy, District Secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, said the Forest Department should eliminate the animal if it was unable to translocate it. This request also was submitted to the Collector.

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