A case for Kerala’s missing elephants
The latest Kerala wild elephant enumeration report has baffled conservationists after it showed a steep decline of 58% in the elephant population in the state. The finding is quite puzzling as it has come amid increased man-elephant conflict along the forest fringe areas. The enumeration conducted from May 17 to 19 revealed that Kerala, with a forest area of 11,524 sq km, has 2,386 wild elephants, and the population density is 0.25 per sq km. The reduction is drastic compared with 5,706 wild elephants in 2017 and 7,490 in 2011.
While all agree that the state losing 58% of its wild elephants in six years is alarming, there are varied opinions on why. Most conservationists believe that the decrease is due to the migration of elephants to other states because of the destruction of their natural habitat, disruption of elephant corridors, and increased human activities. Paradoxically, man-elephant conflicts have steadily risen despite this fall in numbers as elephants are forced to enter human habitations in search of food.
Though the state has 11,524 sq km of forest—29% of the total land area—around 1,500 sq km have been converted into plantations over time. While the British converted forest land into plantations to grow teak and eucalyptus, the state forest department planted wattle in grasslands in the 1970s for nitrogen fixation. In the Wayanad sanctuary, the golden shower tree, a vigorously proliferating invasive species, has seriously threatened critical wildlife habitats. All these have led to a scarcity of food for herbivores.
It is good the state government has realised the follies of successive governments in the past and launched a project to convert plantations into natural forests and shift human settlements from inside the forest to fringe areas. In Wayanad, the forest department has come up with a Rs 100-crore master plan for habitat restoration and the removal of invasive species like golden shower trees. The government should also check the encroachment and fragmentation of natural habitats due to human invasion. Violators should be dealt with strictly. The government must also initiate steps to create awareness among farmers living in forest fringe areas. All must realise that every living creature—man or animal—has an equal right to survive.