BENGALURU: The death of an elephant on a barricade made of rail tracks in Veeranahosahalli Range of Nagarhole National Park on Saturday has raised serious concerns about the safety of erecting such structures to prevent man-animal conflicts. Wildlife experts on Saturday called for a rethink on whether such structures are safe as a mitigation measure, as many elephants have tried to cross these barriers. However, the state Forest Department says this is one of the best solutions to minimise conflict.
“You cannot stop an elephant, no matter what. Safeguarding the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and making our forests free from human intervention are the only solutions to ensure elephant straying is controlled. There will always be tuskers that tend to move out of forests, but such cases are negligible,” explains K M Chinnappa, senior conservationist and trustee of Wildlife First organisation.
Speaking to TNIE, Chief Wildlife Warden C Jayram defended the solution and said, “This solution has worked and minimised conflicts. If activists are asking for a re-think, let them give a solution. Scientific studies show that such structures are feasible.”
Though large in size and weighing up to four tonnes, elephants have soft feet. Latest ideas to restrict elephants from crossing the forest boundary have invited wrath from the SC. The Forest Department at Nagarhole Reserve had constructed elephant-proof walls and fixed cement spikes on it so that the animals do not cross the boundary. It has been three months since the apex court ordered the state department to remove the spikes, but the work is still not completed.
Experts pointed out that South Africa, which first adopted the railway line barrier, is now removing the same. The experts are now calling for a rethink over unnatural barriers, saying it is time to decide whether forests need to be fenced or farms.Activist Santhosh said, “Human-wildlife conflict mitigation measures should be well thought and scientifically designed. There are multiple incidents in which elephants were found crossing railway fences.
Also, we need to rethink whether to restrict their movement or to restore migratory paths.” Experts also suggested that the old way of regulating elephants by creating trenches could be reintroduced, where elephants are not harmed. Others suggested more traditional methods like villagers safeguarding their fields by staying up at night.
However, foresters say barriers are required wherever there are humans close to forest fringes. “Farmers may agitate if we do not take steps to curb elephants from straying into fields. At present, railway barriers are the most effective. Currently, 70km of forest fringe has been barricaded by railway lines and another 80km will be fortified soon. The incident where the tusker got stuck and died is the same place where in 2017, a tusker had crossed the railway fence. It was then decided to increase the height of the fence by adding another railway line. But due to lack of funds, the project was not carried out,” a senior forest official said.