Kerala moots jumbo corridor linking forests, sanctuaries

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With incidents of man-animal conflict being
widely reported in Kerala, the state has embarked on an ambitious project
to link its forests and sanctuaries to create a continuous path for the free
movement of elephants.

The project that intends to create a continuous corridor from north end to
the south will be undertaken using the funds given by the ministry of
environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC). Government has
submitted the proposal to the Centre for linking seven corridors in
northern districts, in which four will require land acquisition. For the first
phase, seven corridors — identified by the ‘right of passage (elephant
passages of India)’ report 2017 by wildlife trust of India and MoEFCC —
have been shortlisted.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/state-moots-jumbo-corridor-linking-forests-sanctuaries/articleshow/67920620.cms

Elephants Enter Odisha Villages

There was panic in three Odisha districts when herds of elephants entered the villages damaging houses and crops on Sunday.

An elephant herd, believed to be comprising over 20 jumbos, wreaked havoc in Manijipur village under Kanas block of Puri district. They damaged crops stacked in the backyards. Puri hardly reports elephant depredation.

Police and forest department personnel are keeping a close watch on the movement of elephants as there is every chance of the animals straying into more thickly populated area.

Similarly, the residents of Baratuma, Rangamatia and Baradiha villages in Jaleswar area of Balasore district moved to safer places when a herd having more than 60 elephants entered their villages. As many as 12 houses were destroyed and a few acres of ready-to-harvest paddy was damaged.

Similar incidents were reported from Ghusura Gadhiali village of Sundargarh district. A woman was reportedly trampled to death in Keonjhar district.

Meanwhile, the carcass of an elephant was discovered at Nimakhandi village in Ganjam district on Sunday. Locals alleged that the elephant had marks of gunshots.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
http://hotindiareport.com/india/elephants-enter-odisha-villages/

Heartbreaking! Elephant chokes to death in Karnataka after getting stuck in a fence

In Karnataka's Nagarhole National Park, a wild elephant choked to death on Saturday, while trying to flee from chasing villagers, Hindustan Times reported on Sunday.

In Karnataka’s Nagarhole National Park, a wild elephant choked to death on Saturday, while trying to flee from chasing villagers, Hindustan Times reported on Sunday. The tusker ravaged through Bharthawadi village, in the early hours of Saturday and was running back to the Veeranahosahalli forest when it got stuck in the railway fencing, HT reported.

With a chasing mob behind him, it tried to heave over the fence. While doing so it collapsed under its own weight and crushed its diaphragm and choked to death. This incident added another jumbo to the long list of elephant death in recent times, reported HT.

The railway fences were put up by the Karnataka forest department in 2013, as a measure taken to reduce conflict between animals and villagers. 33 km long railing was erected in the first phase of the project. Railing is to be erected in another 220 km stretch, with a budget of Rs 22 crores has also been sanctioned, HT reported.

KM Narayanaswamy, conservator of forests and field director, Nagarhole National Park, told Hindustan Times that the incident is unfortunate. “We have witnessed the death of an elephant due to railway fencing like this, for the first time.” He further added that “The fencing project has been undertaken to favour the farmers. And this is the first incident where it is seen to be affecting elephants adversely.”

In November, the Supreme Court passed an order to remove spikes and other artificial objects to allow free movement of the elephants. This came after a PIL was filed by author and conservationist Prerna Bindra.

“Elephants move long distances and such artificial barriers at times can have an adverse effect. In Sri Lanka’s Udawalawe National Park elephants starved to death when fencing was put up in the forest,” she told HT.

Project Elephant programme under the ministry of environment, forests and climate change, in their guidelines also mentioned that large-scale fencing is not a solution to human-elephant conflicts prevalent all over the country.

The Nagarhole National Park, where the incident happened, is a part of the largest Asiatic Elephant habitat with around 5,500 elephants, that stretches across multiple national parks across Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. However, official estimates from the forest ministry, around 80 elephant die every year due to accidents or poaching and poisoning.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/heartbreaking-elephant-chokes-to-death-in-karnataka-after-getting-stuck-in-a-fence/1415233/

Assam government mulls GPS collars on elephants as early warning system

The government in Assam is considering a proposal to use GPS-tted collars on elephants to study the pattern of their movement, officials said, as the number of casualties in the human-tusker conflict has been rising in the state.

“GPS-tted collars would help map the migration route and locate herds. It will serve as an early warning system,” the state’s principal chief conservator of forests and head of forest force SK Srivastava said.

If all the approvals come through, the Assam forest department will start with a pilot project in Nagaon forest division.

“The idea is to t the collars on ve to six animals and then study the response,” said Suvasish Das, Nagaon’s district forest officer.

Srivastava pointed out that more than 70 humans and 55 elephants have lost their lives so far this year.

Last week, an elephant which had strayed from the herd killed four people including a child in Kheroni in West Karbi Anglong district. On the same day, another man was trampled to death in Udalguri part of the Bodo Territorial Administrative Districts.

Elephants, too, are bearing the brunt as they are often poisoned or die after coming in contact with the
electric fences which have been put by people who are now mostly living in spaces which were earlier elephant habitats or corridors for their movement.

“Electrocution, train hits and poisoning are big reasons,” said Srivastava, adding the number of elephant deaths included those who died of natural causes, too.

Officials of the state forest department said the project will be carried out in consultation with the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and Wildlife Institute of India.

Assam’s forest cover is under severe pressure from the rising population. A study by Indian Institute of Remote Sensing titled Forest Cover Monitoring and Prediction in a Lesser Himalayan Elephant Landscape, published in Current Science in August said 9,007.14 square kilometres of forest may face depletion by 2028 in parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

The study which monitored forest cover depletion in parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh over an area of 42,375 square kilometres of elephant landscape showed continuous high loss of forest cover.

“The total loss in forest cover was estimated to be about 7,590 sq km from 1924 to 2009,” the study said adding that an increasing human population and subsequent demand on the land for cultivation were the major reasons for forest cover depletion.

“It is such a scenario now that both the elephants and the humans are victims,” Assam’s principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) DP Bankhwal said.

“GPS collars will help gather crucial data. Unavailability of data is a problem,” he said adding that it is merely a means and part of the many technological interventions which are being considered but the problem needs to be tackled on the ground.

The forest department is also considering raising an in-house team of mahouts to train elephants which would be used to drive away rogue elephants.

“Mahouts from Assam have been engaged by other states but we do not have a sufficient number ourselves,” said Das.

The 2017 census put the population of elephants in the northeast at 10,139 of which 5,719 are found in Assam.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/assam-government-mulls-gps-collars-on-elephants-as-early-warning-system/story-54OMYzVADCOhxl1UavDk2O.html