Man-animal strife: Seeking answers in the bountiful repository of tribal wisdom in Kerala

Forest dept, KFRI collaborate with communities for valuable info
People from tribal hamlets sharing their traditional knowledge with forest officials
People from tribal hamlets sharing their traditional knowledge with forest officials(Photo | Express)
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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Did you know that stones pelted by women don’t scare away monkeys or that bears that return to a spot three-four times suggest that they are feeling threatened and are likely to attack? That one can read elephant behaviour from the manner in which it folds its trunk or sways its ears? That rotten sardines can keep animals away?

Such seemingly obscure nuggets of information have long been part of tribal wisdom. Cashing in on this, a rich repository of traditional tribal wisdom is being documented in the state as part of the collaborative effort of the state forest department and the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI).

The project has assumed greater importance at a time when Kerala has been witnessing an increase in human-wildlife conflict; and its widespread ramifications — both social and political — are being felt across the state.

Pushed to the wall, the forest department came up with the novel initiative to tap into the traditional wisdom of forest-dwelling communities that have long lived in peaceful co-existence with wildlife. The fact that a few indigenous people also lost their lives in recent attacks has made it all the more pertinent to cash in on such indigenous knowledge that is part and parcel of tribal lives.

Thus took shape Gothrabheri, one of ten missions proposed to address human-wildlife conflict in the state. Envisaged as a learning initiative, it’s being undertaken by KFRI with funding from the forest department. Senior forest officer Raju Francis who coordinated the conceptualisation of Gothrabheri had, in his own words, a truly enriching experience in the course of having spent hours with hamlet chiefs in this regard.

“When it gradually dawned upon them that we urban folks also value their traditional wisdom, their self-esteem visibly shot up. This led them to open up like never before, especially elderly women. They first pointed out issues they faced and how they went about resolving them,” says Raju.

The nearly three-month-long initiative, that covered close to 300 tribal hamlets across the state, saw the collation of rare, quirky and highly informative pieces of indigenous wisdom.

How to train your pet dogs when it comes to dealing with elephant raids could well be a surprise for many. Contrary to popular notion, barking dogs do not keep elephants away; rather it could make them return. “When it comes to elephants, barking dogs actually tend to lure back retreating elephants. We thus need to train pet dogs by familiarising them with the scent of elephants and to remain mum, the moment they smell the same in the air,” one of the community members shared with forest officials. Keeping wild boars away is another strategy. Since pigs like certain wild roots and a few types of arrowroots, tribal people ensure their availability beyond hamlet boundaries, so that boars don’t feel the need to enter farms and fields.

Another very common tactic employed in many hamlets is to keep rotten sardines so as to repel animals, as vociferously vouched for by Chandu of Kannavam hamlet. Displaying dummy/plastic snakes, keeping beehives to ward off wild attacks (this doesn’t obviously work with bears), employing firecrackers and smoke, burning chilly flakes, and what not? There are umpteen techniques used by tribes to prevent wildlife encroachment into their settlements. Similarly, the tribes of Nilambur point out how they effectively communicate with local elephants. The same does not, however, work with outsider elephants. Being able to read the behaviour pattern of animals, especially while in the wild, assumes utmost significance, when it comes to self-preservation.

“If an elephant folds its trunk or a bear returns repeatedly, it could well be a sign of an impending attack. Similarly, while in the jungle, you may not have light, but by keenly listening to certain peculiar sounds and noises made by elephants waving ears, the touch of porcupine quills and sniffing and identifying certain types of odours or the wild scent of animals, will alert you to immediate threats,” shares Lekshmi of Parambikulam, shedding light on the behavioural patterns of animals.

“Contrary to popular notion, bears read signs humans emit unknowingly. They will look at your hands and eyes, and assess your attitude. Monkeys do the same. That’s how they assess human behaviour,” point out Chinnaraja Moopan of Muthuvan community of Poopparakudi and Malllika of the Thumbam colony.

Tribal wisdom curiously questions the common perception that wildfires are harmful to forests. Most of them fervently vouch for how frequent small fires contribute to the sprouting and growth of new plants like certain grass species that are essential for the survival of both humans and wildlife. “Instead of a conflicting stance, tribal communities have always maintained a culture of interaction and co-existence with the wild. They even attribute divinity to certain animals, which they take particular care not to harm,” says KFRI principal scientist Dr A V Reghu, principal investigator of the initiative.

indigenous tactics

  • When it comes to elephants, barking dogs actually tend to lure back retreating elephants.

  • Since pigs like certain wild roots and a few types of arrowroots, tribal people ensure their availability beyond hamlet boundaries, so that boars don’t feel the need to enter farms and fields

  • Another technique employed by tribal hamlets is to use rotten sardines to repel animals

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