THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as forest officials await the High Court’s clearance to catch a rogue elephant in the Munnar forest division, a fatal virus is rampaging across the elephant population killing scores of elephant calves. Adding to that there has also been an alarming dip in the sex ratio of elephants and forest officials warn that if the deaths remain unchecked and more male elephants are caged, the ecological balance of the region would be affected.
In the last year and a half, seven calves have reportedly died due to the highly fatal hemorrhagic disease called Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). Despite the spread of the virus, no investigation has been launched by the chief wildlife warden or the forest minister.
According to forest officials, there are only around 40 wild elephants left in the conflict areas of Munnar Town, Chinnakanal, and Mattupetty where the rogue elephant issue has been reported. With traditional elephant paths encroached, the Munnar forest is cut-off and isolated. The death of calves could seriously impact the population in the region, forest sources said.
According to the official forest data, which is in the possession of TNIE, the male-female sex ratio here is 1:2. Environmentalists have also pointed out that there are many grey areas in the wild animal-human conflict.
“PT 7, a rogue wild elephant caught from Dhoni in Palakkad recently, had 15 pellet wound marks on its body,” Palakkad Chief Conservator of Forests Vijayanand told TNIE.
Sreedevi S Kartha, a member of People For Animals (PFA), one of the organisations that approached the HC in the Arikomban issue, said although the elephant was termed aggressive and violent, there’s no attempt to trace the reason.
“No one explains what led to these pellets wounds. It seems the elephant PT7 was afraid of humans and naturally it charged against them. Now, this animal is being subjected to cruel methods to rehabilitate,” she said. While the chief conservator of forests in Palakkad has confirmed that the wounds are the aftermath of attacks by humans, no case has been registered, and the chief wildlife warden has not been informed.