THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Seeking a permanent solution to the state’s mounting human-wildlife conflict, the government is considering airlifting tigers and, if required, elephants from trouble-hit areas to other habitats.
The plan is contingent on a study by the Wildlife Institute of India, which is assessing the carrying capacity of forests in the state.
Forests and Wildlife Minister Shibu Baby John said though the plan is under the government’s consideration, any decision will be based entirely on the study’s findings.
“If the study finds that the carrying capacity has been exceeded, tigers and, if required, elephants could be airlifted to other habitats. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has already given its nod for such an operation if needed,” the minister told TNIE.
Officials said airlifting would be considered in three situations: when forests are found to have surplus tiger populations, when problem tigers require to be relocated to suitable habitats, and when injured or stranded wild animals need rapid transportation for rescue or rehabilitation.
Speaking in the assembly recently, the forest minister had said relocating excess big cats could provide a long-term solution to the human-wildlife conflict, but the process involves significant scientific, legal and logistical hurdles.
“There are many limitations in capturing tigers. After capturing them, the bigger question is where we can release them. People are not willing to have them relocated to forests near their localities, but we have to leave them somewhere. We do not have a legal provision to keep them in zoos, and we follow the law,” the minister said.
If the report concludes that a forest area has more tigers than it can ecologically sustain, the department will identify suitable destinations, preferably tiger reserves elsewhere in the country that have little or no tiger population.
The minister maintained that the proposal was aimed at ensuring both wildlife conservation and public safety while remaining within the legal framework governing the management of wild animals.
Social Forestry chief Pramod G Krishnan said preliminary discussions with the IAF had already established the technical feasibility of such an operation.
Expert cautions against treating carrying capacity as scientific benchmark
“Similar operations have been carried out earlier in states such as Madhya Pradesh, where tigers and cheetahs were airlifted. The study will be carried out and further decisions will be taken based on its findings,” he said.
However, Easwaran E K, a retired chief forest veterinarian, cautioned against treating carrying capacity as a simple scientific benchmark.
“Carrying capacity is highly hypothetical. It cannot be determined merely by the size of a forest, the number of tigers or the available prey base. It requires a multidisciplinary and holistic assessment with continuous monitoring, taking into account seasonal fluctuations, habitat conditions and several ecological factors,” opined Easwaran.
While airlifting tigers may be technically possible, the official cautioned that wildlife translocation carries considerable risks, claiming that mortality rates during transportation could be as high as 30% to 40% in some cases. The official was even more skeptical about relocating 10-11ft tall elephants by air.
“Finding suitable landing sites near sanctuaries is itself a challenge. Aircraft operations could disturb wildlife because of the noise and movement, affecting not just the animal being relocated but the surrounding population as well,” the official said.
He argued that the state’s wildlife situation should be viewed as an ecological crisis rather than merely a human-wildlife conflict.
“Climate change, habitat degradation, mining, food availability and several interconnected factors are contributing to the problem. It cannot be addressed through simple solutions alone,” he said.
According to forest dept officials, airlifting will be considered in three situations:
When forests are found to have surplus tiger populations
If problematic tigers require to be relocated to suitable habitats
When injured or stranded wild animals need rapid transportation for rescue or rehabilitation