COIMBATORE: A total of 147 people died in the Coimbatore forest division between 2011 and 2022 of which 45 were reported from within the forest while the remaining deaths happened outside the forest, as per a report released by the forest department during an elephant conclave at Saravanapatti on Saturday.
The Boluvampatti forest range recorded the highest number of deaths (46) due to elephant attacks, while the Coimbatore forest range recorded 36 such deaths. Similarly, 23 died in elephant attacks in Periyanaickenpalayam, 10 in Mettupalayam, 14 in Sirumugai and eight in Karamadai and 11 in Madukkarai forest rangers.
Elephants in the forest division are seasonal migrants, who move from Nilgiris and Sathyamangalam to the forest areas in Kerala through the Coimbatore forest division. Walayar, Bolampatty, Anaikatti, Gopinari, Hulical, Jaccanari, Nilgiris, Sholakkarai, Singapathy and Iruttupallam are their preferred retreats during monsoon, the report said, adding the elephants have adapted to crop raiding patterns, leading to increased human-elephant conflicts.
Encroachments, habitat fragmentation, and degradation in wildlife corridors disrupt animal movements, leading to conflict situations. Elephants strayed out of the forest 7,566 times across the division between January 2022 and June 2023, the report said.
“In order to prevent such mishaps, Boundary Night Patrolling Teams have been formed. After the intervention of BNPT, there has been a drastic reduction in human and elephant deaths,” said S Ramasubramanian, conservator of forests and field director of Annamalai Tiger Reserve.