Maneka Gandhi tells Army to act against elephant deaths in Assam, remove ‘dreadful spikes’

New Delhi: Days after a bed of six-inch long metal spikes installed by the Indian Army in Assam allegedly claimed the life of a male elephant, union minister Maneka Gandhi took up the issue with Army Chief Bipin Rawat and asked him to immediately remove the deadly spikes.

The spikes, laid down by the Army to prevent elephants around the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary in Guwahati from entering the military installation adjacent to it, have allegedly caused at least two elephant deaths, and left several injured.

Taking strong exception to the Army’s installation of what she called “the dreadful spikes”, Maneka said, “Whoever in the Army has done this needs to be pulled up…The Army has no business of putting these lethal spikes in the middle of a forest.

“I have spoken to the commander-in-chief, and he told me he has no knowledge of this, and will take immediate action,” she told ThePrint Friday.

“We have less than 15,000 elephants left in this country, are we going to kill them all?” she said.

According to the 2017 census of elephants, there are 27,312 elephants in the country, which account for 55 per cent of the total elephant population in the world.

Also read: To protect India’s elephants, we have to preserve wildlife corridors not just forests

Gandhi not the only one to outrage

A month before the male elephant was found dead on 4 March — it reportedly succumbed to septicaemia caused by a wound in the leg — the forest department had warned the Army against the “cruel” measure, asking it to remove the spikes, which would endanger the lives of the “innocent animals”.

In a letter written on 28 December — a day after another elephant was injured — District Forest Officer (DFO), Pradipta Baruah said, “This type of cruel effort to keep the elephants at bay is definitely going to defeat the very spirit of wildlife protection and preservation.

“You are, therefore, requested to do away with this type of detrimental measures… and evolve to take recourse to a more compassionate method in tandem with the wildlife division in the true spirits of protecting the wildlife.”

According to the post-mortem report of the elephant, it had punctured wounds on its right hind leg and foreleg which officials in the forest department believe were caused due to the spikes.

“Several elephants have been injured in this area due to these spikes, and we have constantly maintained that the Army should remove them, but nothing has been done till now,” an official in the Guwahati wildlife division told ThePrint.

“The way to deal with man-animal conflict is not to put the lives of animals in jeopardy,” the official said.

Long-drawn problem in Assam

While man-animal conflict is a raging issue across several parts of the country, it is particularly stark in Assam, where 249 elephants and 761 people have died since 2010 owing to the problem.

Poaching, train-related accidents, poisoning and electrocution have all contributed to the dwindling elephant population in the region.

Additionally, the shrinking natural habitat of elephants compels them to stray into human habitation, thereby increasing the incidents of conflict.

According to environment ministry data, in the last five years, nearly 500 elephants have died in the country due to unnatural factors.

Out of the 490 deaths recorded since 2013, more than half the deaths — 267 — have occurred due to electrocution, followed by poaching (92), rail accidents (72), revenge killings (36) and poisoning (23).

Also read: WCD not a soft ministry, it looks after 70% of India’s population: Maneka Gandhi

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Woman, infant daughter trampled to death by marauding jumbo herd in Jharkhand village

A woman and her one-year-old daughter were trampled to death as a herd of 18 elephants went on a rampage through a village in Jharkhand’s Gumla district early on Monday, forest officials said.

The deceased were identified as Archana Baghawar, 26, and her daughter Ishita. Four people of the family were sleeping in the asbestos-roofed mud house, when the incident took place around 4 am.

Recounting their terrifying experience, Archana’s mother in-law Luisa Devi, 50, said , “We were four people sleeping in two different rooms of the house as my son James was in Bokaro since Sunday. Around 4 am, we heard elephants trumpeting. Moment after, the herd razed a portion of the house wall.

“My sister in-law and I escaped from northern side of the house. Archana, holding her daughter, tried to flee from another side but they were trampled to death by elephants, as they stepped out of the house.”

Hearing the trumpeting, villagers chased away the elephants to the nearby forest, around one kilometre from the village. However, the elephants again returned to the village pond around 10 am and then moved towards Bano forest range in Simdega.

“We have given Rs 50,000 to the family of the deceased immediately on Monday, while remaining Rs 7.5 lakh compensation would be given to the family after official formalities,” Gumla divisional forest officer (DFO), Srikant Verma said.

He said the herd entered the Rampur village from Palkot wildlife sanctuary where it was staying for over a week.

“The herd had entered Sakiya village on Sunday afternoon. The forest team chased them away from the village and kept vigil till the evening. The herd, however, entered the Rampur village on Sunday night through the forest route,” Verma said.

Gumla forest ranger John Robert Tirkey said the herd went to Bano forest range by Monday afternoon, 10-12 km from the village.

“We have asked the villagers to be alert and avoid going out of home at night. We have equipped them with torches and fire crackers to help them to fight the elephants in case they enter the village again,” he said, adding, villagers were also asked not to store grain or Mahua flower, an ingredient to make country liquor, at home.

The incident caused panic in Rampur, a village of 398 houses as per the 2011 census. However, the house where the incident took place is located alone around 400 metres away from the main village, a forest official said.

“We are not safe even at home. Forest department must ensure safety of the villagers from elephants. Another herd of five elephants have been found in Majhkera village, which is not far from this village,” said Raju Soreng, a village resident.

In Jharkhand, an average of 62 people were killed by elephants every year since 2009-10. As per the forest department, a total of 610 people were killed from 2009-2010 to November 2018, of which 53 people were killed from April to November 2018

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Big cats changing old routes to avoid human contact

NAINITAL: A new study has found that tigers, leopards and elephants may be changing their traditional corridors within forests to avoid man-animal conflict.
The study by the state forest department funded by the Union ministry of environment and forests found primary evidence that animals may have taken to two new probable passages/corridors near the Corbett tiger reserve (CTR). GS Karki, additional conservator of forests, told TOI, “We have launched the study in 12 corridors in and around CTR. The study is on and there are a few findings in the primary stage, but conclusions can be drawn only after the study is complete.” The study is being conducted in corridors passing through or connecting parts of forest in five forest divisions of western circle of Kumaon, Corbett tiger reserve, Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary and Pilibhit tiger reserve.
The study is aimed at exploring the factors, including human interference in habitat of wild animals as well as various other factors affecting the movement of animals through their natural pathways which happen to be corridors. Parag Madhukar Dhakate, chief executive officer of Haldwani zoo who is heading the study, said, “The study will take at least 12 months to reach to any conclusion. We have found two passages which may or may not be full-fledged corridors yet. We will be tracking the movement of the animals in these passages and other corridors too. Other factors will include closely observing the interference of humans and related activity near these corridors through which we will be able to determine the effects.”
Vipul Maurya, biologist from Wildlife Institute of India, said, “Elephant herds are known to migrate across 350-500 sq km annually. But fragmented landscapes are driving them more frequently into human-dominated areas, giving rise to more man-animal conflicts which also forces the animals to find new routes.”

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Jaldapara National Park is Where You Can Spot The Elusive One-Horned Rhino

Jaldapara National Park is situated at the foothills of Eastern Himalayas, in a district called Alipurduar in West Bengal. It is one of the best places in the country to spot one-horned rhinos. These elusive beauties are found in few other national parks today; Kaziranga and Pobitara in Assam and in protected areas in the Terai of Nepal Jaldapara has been home to this wonderful species for a long time now – the vast grassland being ideal as the Rhino’s natural habitat.

Today, they’re listed as a vulnerable species, whereas once the large mammal ranged in large numbers through the entire stretch of the Indo-Gangetic plain. However, excessive hunting has caused them to go down in number. Today, about 3,000 rhinos live in the wild, 2,000 of which are found in the Northeast alone.

A great way to enjoy in Jaldapara National Park is by taking an elephant safari that is organised early morning from Hollong to offer the exquisite beauty of the vast grassland . The elephant ride is also the best possible way to spot rare species such as the Indian rhinos and Asiatic elephants. You can also opt for the jeep safari inside the sanctuary for a complete experience.

The forest is mainly savannah covered with tall elephant grasses, and looks gorgeous with the river Torsa flowing languidly through it. It is home to a great variety of fauna other than the rhino such as Royal Bengal Tigers, wild elephants, deers, swamp deers, hog deers, wild pigs, and bisons. Some rare species like the hispid hare and the hog-badger are also found here.

While taking leisurely strolls through the towering grass here, you can also spot some great varieties of birds. It is one of the very few places in India, where the Bengal Florican is seen. Other birds to be found here are the Crested Eagle, Pallas’s Fishing Eagle, Jungle Fowl, Bengal Florican and the Pied Hornbill.

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Wildlife board says ‘yes’ to Kanhargaon sanctuary

Nagpur: The Maharashtra State Board for Wildlife (MSBW) on Wednesday in-principle approved to declare Kanhargaon in Gondpipri tehsil of Chandrapur district a wildlife sanctuary.
The decision was taken at the 14th board meeting chaired by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, top officials and members were also present.

The issue, which was not on the agenda, was raised by members Anish Andheria of Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) and Satpuda Foundation’s Kishor Rithe during a presentation by WII’s Bilal Habib on man-animal conflict and mitigation measures in the backdrop of killing of tigress T1.

Fadnavis called for separate policy to curb man-animal conflict and asked to constitute a committee for the same. He also said to boost ecotourism in six tiger reserves, a fresh proposal should be worked out and a proposal be sent to NTCA to continue ecotourism even during monsoon. He called for separate elephant squads in tiger reserves to control conflict around the reserves.

Declaring Kanhargaon a sanctuary is a four-year-old proposal that was hanging fire owing to political differences and opposition from FDCM, which has large-scale logging operations here.

However, the move seems to have been taken considering the flared-up man-animal conflict with tigers crying for space. As per the survey conducted by WCT in 2015, there are 10 tigers and 23 leopards in Kanhargaon.

“The lush green forest of Kanhargaon forms key southern corridor for spill over tiger population moving to Kawal tiger reserve in Telangana and Indravati reserve in Chhattisgarh through Chaprala and Pranhita in Gadchiroli,” says Uday Patel, honorary wildlife warden of Gadchiroli.

Talking to TOI, PCCF (wildlife) AK Misra, who is also member-secretary of the board, said, “The 210sqkm sanctuary proposal will need technical formalities to be completed before a final notification is to be issued. The board also decided to expand Umred-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary and Bor Tiger Reserve by relocating three villages each from these PAs. These villages themselves are keen on getting shifted.”

Earlier proposal for Kanhargaon was for over 400 sqkm. It was curtailed to 265 sqkm following opposition and now it has been brought down to 210sqkm keeping all villages, except Kanhargaon, out.

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Forest dept to explore tech use to prevent jumbo deaths

Kolkata: Concerned over the death of elephants, particularly on the railway tracks in North Bengal, the state Forest department will hold a workshop at Chalsa on November 16 and 17, to explore technology that can be adopted to prevent such deaths. "There are a number of technologies that are presently available to track the movement of jumbos in the forest areas. But calibrating them has been the challenge. The workshop will deliberate upon and showcase the various technologies and at the same time, there will be demonstrations on the calibration aspect too," said Ravi Kant Sinha, the chief wildlife warden of the state.

It may be mentioned that IIT Delhi has come up with a seismic sensor technology that will give a vibratory signal about the pachyderms' movement near rail tracks, once fitted. A message would be sent to the nearest station master and the driver of trains about to pass through the area, so that they remain alert.

"There are some other technologies involving CCTV surveillance and sending alerts through SMS to the train driver that will be showcased at the two day workshop," added Sinha. The railway tracks between Siliguri and Alipurduar, stretching close to 165 km, have witnessed more than 60 elephants being killed by trains since 2004. The tracks pass through several forest areas, including the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Jaldapara National Park and Buxa Tiger Reserve. The conference is being organised by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and the state Forest department. Senior officials from National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) will also be present at the two day conference, along with representatives of Railways, the Wildlife Institute of India, NGOs and local communities. "There have been a handful of elephant deaths on national highways as well. We want to have a comprehensive technological use to curb jumbo deaths. So, we are involving every single stakeholder," a senior official of the state Forest department said. Prodded by the Supreme Court to curb the death of elephants on railway tracks and by electrocution, it was 2013 when the ministry of Environment and Forests had proposed the use of technology. A pilot project to test the sensors is underway at the Rajaji National Park near Dehradun. The issue of the death of the pachyderms has come up for discussion in several meetings between the state government and the Railways in particular. The South Eastern Railway has plans to restrict the speed of trains from 7 pm till 5 am in the morning at 70 km per hour in Kharagpur and Adra division that covers forest areas of Purulia, West Midnapore and Jhargram.

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Jumbo attacks trigger panic

Silchar: Frequent attacks by a herd of wild elephants in different areas of Patharkandi in south Assam's Karimganj district in the last few days have triggered panic among the villagers.

Patharkandi is nearly 80km from here.

Villagers R. Goala and Antu Das, among others, said the houses of labourers Babul Kand and Kartik Kand were razed by the herd at Champabari village, around 95km from here, in the wee hours of Friday.

However, the two managed to flee to a safe place with their families when the attack took place.

Two more houses were damaged by the elephants on Saturday. The herd also destroyed crops in and around the village.

Uttam Rikiason, another villager, said though the elephants wreak havoc every year in different villages of Patharkandi, the forest department did not take any steps to curb the menace.

Rikiason said the herd had killed many goats and cows in different areas and demanded that the elephants be caught and sent to a wildlife sanctuary.

Sukhdeb Saha, a ranger of the Patharkandi forest range, told this correspondent over phone on Sunday morning that forest officials had visited the areas and assessed the damage caused by the herd.

He confirmed the destruction of houses and arable lands in the past two days and said compensation would be given to the affected families.


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Elephants from Kerala begin training at Mudumalai

Three captive elephants from the Muthanga wildlife sanctuary in Kerala began their three-month training to become kumki elephants, at the Theppakadu elephant camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve on Friday.

The elephants, named Suryan, Neelakandan, and Surendran, will be trained to become kumkis or trained elephants that can be used for operations to trap wild elephants and help mitigate human-animal conflicts.

The animals will first be trained to obey basic commands, and subsequently to carry out complex tasks.

The Kerala Forest Department had sought the help of its Tamil Nadu counterpart to help train the animals. The Theppakadu elephant camp was chosen on account of the expertise of its staff in training kumkis.

The training was inaugurated by Deputy Director of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (core and buffer areas), Shenbaga Priya, along with the Conservator of Forest Wildlife (Palakkad District) B. Anjan Kumar.

Officials said that there was great cooperation between the Kerala and Tamil Nadu Forest Departments, with kumki elephants from the Theppakadu camp being used in the past for operations in Kerala. They added that the Nilgiris’ border with Kerala had a high incidence of human-animal conflict, and the Forest Departments of both states would need to work together to help mitigate such conflicts.


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Jumbo herd kills one on Dalma fringes

Jamshedpur: A 45-year-old man was killed by elephants at Oppo village in Patamda, on the fringes of Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, in the small hours of Friday.

Buddheshwar Singh, a resident of Jarka Tola in Oppo village, around 35km from here in East Singhbhum district, was trampled to death by a herd of elephants while he was guarding his farm around 4am.

Dalma range officer R.P. Singh, Kanderbera forester Prakash Chandra and his Bhadodih counterpart Tapan Kumar Mahto reached the spot after villagers informed them about the incident. "The incident took place around 4am. Singh was alone when the elephants attacked and killed him. Police have sent the body to MGM Medical College and Hospital for autopsy," he said.

The forest department has paid Rs 25,000 to the victim's wife, Shanthi Bala, for funeral expenses. "Another Rs 3.75 lakh will be paid after paperwork is completed. Elephant attack victims are given a compensation of Rs 4 lakh," the range officer said.

On Sunday last, forest authorities had alerted villagers that three separate herds having around 40 elephants were anchored in Patamda. The Dalma range office in Mango had also distributed crackers and torches among them.

The herds had left Dalma last month for their annual sojourn to the jungles of West Midnapore and Bankura in neighbouring Bengal. However, after reaching Dalbhumgarh and Ghatshila, they turned back and started heading towards Dalma via Patamda.

Normally, the elephants migrate to the neighbouring state in August-September and return in January-February. But, the noise of a gun battle between Maoists and paramilitary forces inside the forest forced an early migration.

Elephants had destroyed houses and standing crops in Patamda and also injured an elderly earlier this year. Herds go on the rampage in search of food and damage houses in the process.


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Elephant saved by alert train driver in Assam

GUWAHATI : Life is not only important for human but for all. This is again proved by a train driver. So many incidents coming up with a bad news as elephant dies during crossing railway line due to train hit. But in Assam alert train driver saved elephant. On 22.03.2018, train no. 75730 hauled by Diesel Power Car No. 13029+13030 was on its journey from Silghat to Guwahati. The crew members were Sri Kanak Chandra Nath, Loco Pilot (driver), Sri Ravi Ranjan Kumar, Assistant Loco Pilot and Sri Arun Rabha, Guard. The train left Silghat as per its schedule departure time at 06.00 hrs. and while entering Jhakla Banda railway station at about 06:15 hrs, the on duty crew members suddenly noticed movement of an elephant at Km 54/0-1 just about 65 m ahead of the train. Loco Pilot applied emergency brake at once for stopping the train and the train came to dead stop just 25 metres before the location through which the elephant was passing thereby saving the life of the elephant and ensuring its safe passage. The section where the incident occurred is not earmarked as elephant corridor and also no information on the movement of the elephant was received by the crew member. Despite these, the Loco pilot was cautious enough with a speed of about 40 kmph and managed to save the elephant. However, in reaction to this incidence, the elephant suddenly came towards the Diesel Power Car No. 13029 and attacked the Diesel Power Car. As a result of the attack, damages in the form of some dents, scratches and hole on the outer body had occurred. Chief Public Relations Officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma informed that the alertness and presence of mind of the Loco Pilot and crew in acting timely to prevent elephant casualty has been widely appreciated and they have been recommended for award by General Manager, N.F.Railway.