DHARMAPURI: Amid the threat of wild elephant incursions into villages bordering the forest during their next migration season, the public have been urged not to chase them back into the forest on their own.
The Palacode Forest Range officials are spreading awareness in this regard by holding meetings and distributing pamphlets in villages bordering the forest. Further, they issued other advisories urging people to stay safe indoors at night.
In the upcoming months, there will be significant elephant movements. In preparation for this, the forest department is promoting awareness to reduce human-wildlife conflict in the area.
The Dharmapuri district has one of the largest forest areas in the state, with over 1,66,181 hectares of forest area, which is about 36.95% of the total district area. Among these, the Hogenakkal, Pennagaram, and Palacode forest range form the Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary, where elephant movements are significant as it is an integral part of the elephant corridor.
Palacode Forest Ranger, S Karthikeyan said, "In preparation for the elephant migration season, seven Anti-Depredation Squads (ADS) have been formed and placed on standby. Each team will comprise six members, and four vehicles have been made ready to resolve conflicts. But the biggest issue is the lack of awareness among the people. So we have distributed pamphlets and conducted meetings in villages on the fringes of the forest and spread awareness on various safety measures in Palacode.
Recalling a recent elephant movement, Karthikeyan said, "Over the past week, we have been trying to chase away an elephant from Erranahalli. It is presently camping in Annamalaihalli. The increasing number of spectators has been a challenge. So we urge people to stay clear of the elephants".
A forest department staff told TNIE, "During the elephant raids, we see common people without sufficient awareness trying to scare elephants by bursting fire crackers or lighting fires. This is extremely dangerous; it could lead the startled elephants to wander deeper into revenue areas and hamper the forest department's efforts to send elephants back into the forest. Additionally, such unplanned or disruptive behaviour could lead to loss of life."
"Another issue is farmers camping in fields at night to protect their crops. At night, the elephants are almost unidentifiable in the darkness, and people could accidentally encounter them. So we are urging people to stay indoors between 6 pm and 7 am, to keep themselves safe. We would provide compensation for the crop losses within a week. We are primarily focusing on keeping people safe. Further, we are also spreading awareness on traps and electric fencing and their consequences to ensure wildlife safety," he added.