COIMBATORE: The delay in noticing the carcass of a wild elephant whose tusks were stolen has put the spotlight on the multiple vacant posts in the forest department. While carcasses used to be spotted within 10-14 days, it took nearly 40 days for the department to notice the one at Kariyanpadugai in Boluvampatti forest range. Sources said posts of front line staff such as guard, watcher and anti poaching watchers remain vacant.
While the skeleton of the animal aged between 25 and 28 was found nearly 40 days after its death, forest veterinarian A Sukumar observed that its tusks could have been stolen 10 days after its death, suggesting that the delay in noticing the carcass left much time for miscreants to commit the crime.
Coimbatore forest division was also lacking informers from within the tribal settlement, who usually venture into the forest to collect honey and Indian gooseberry etc., for their livelihood and inform the forest department in case they find a dead animal.
K Kalidass, environmental activist and founder of Osai, said, “The area allotted for individual forest guards and watchers to carry out patrolling, along with anti poaching watchers, is vast. In some places, they have to cover over 2,000 acres. Also, they concentrate more on mitigating human-elephant conflict since the division, especially Boluvampatti forest range, is prone to such conflicts. This could have resulted in a patrolling gap and theft of the tusks.”
Responding as to why there was much delay in noticing the carcass, TK Ashok Kumar, District Forest Officer (DFO) of Coimbatore Forest Division, said, “After the incident, I have instructed seven forest rangers to engage the frontline staff in interior forests so we can prevent such incidents.
Saying that the post of watcher in Kariyanpadugai forest had been vacant, the DFO said anti poaching watchers and guards carried out perambulation works instead. On the delayed information from tribals about the death of the elephant, he said, “We are planning to revive village forest council (VFC) in the areas adjoining forest boundaries to develop a cordial relationship with the tribals, apart from engaging anti poaching watchers in searches to stop poaching and other wildlife crimes.”
Kalidass opined the State government should increase funding to Coimbatore forest division to appoint more anti -poaching watchers, strengthening anti-poaching watcher camps and vulnerable areas like Kariyanpadugai forest.