THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : In a bid to curtail rising incidents of human-animal conflicts in the state, the forest department has decided to make use of its ‘Sarpa’ application to alert residents on forest fringes during wild animal incursions. The department decided to implement the decision after organising several discussions to find effective ways to alleviate incidents of human-animal conflicts, which claimed several lives in the state recently.
Initially designed to rescue snakes, the updated version of the app, which is expected to roll out in August, will enable users to post updates, including photos and videos. The posts vetted by the department will appear as ‘verified’. The objective is to let the public know when a wild beast is spotted on forest fringes so that the residents can exercise caution.
“At present, such alerts are circulated through WhatsApp groups. However, it has been noticed that alerts issued years ago are also surfacing as latest developments. To address the issue, the forest department has decided to crosscheck the claims of animal spotting through the app and mark them verified. The claims, which may not be rumours but are yet to be confirmed, will be listed as unverified. The app will be of help tourists too,” said a forest official.
According to the forest department, there are around 50,000 active users of the ‘Sarpa’ app. “Suppose a tourist is travelling to Malakkappara and the person sees a big cat prowling close to human settlements,” the source added.