CHENNAI: An organic farmer from Thadagam Valley on Tuesday shared pictures of fresh elephant dung taken inside his farm. He was not complaining of damage to his property but expressed concern over the composition of the dung, which was filled with an abnormal quantity of semi-digested exotic Prosopis juliflora pods.
As per official records, Tamil Nadu, including the Western Ghats, is among the chief invasion hotspots in the country. The area under 5 major invasive alien species alone is estimated to be 2,68,100 hectares, of which Prosopis juliflora is recorded in 56,000 ha second only to the Lantana camara.
CR Jayaprakash, associate professor and organic farmer who took the pictures, said the fresh evidence only highlights the changing feeding habits of the elephants. “This is primarily because of degrading elephant habitat. When there is less availability of other fodder, elephants eat this,” he said.
Thadagam valley, has been identified as one of the important migratory routes. But the area was ravaged by illegal brick kilns that were shut down following Madras High Court orders. Since the top fertile soil is already removed, there is no growth of native vegetation, and Prosopis has invaded the tracts.
Environment secretary Supriya Sahu said: “Elephants feeding on Prosopis juliflora pods is not a new thing. It becomes a problem when they excessively eat them. We found these pods inside the stomach of an elephant calf during postmortem. The rapid spread of invasives is a problem the department is committed to addressing. This needs a lot of funds. We are bringing out a CSR scheme to remove the invasives, especially in elephant habitats.”
Dr. NVK Ashraf, chief veterinary officer, of Wildlife Trust of India, said, “Prosopis juliflora pods are edible, but excessive consumption would lead to bloating. There is no scientific study on the impact of exotic juliflora pods on elephants. Elephants usually avoid anything obnoxious.”
Retired additional director of veterinary services NS Manoharan and wildlife veterinarian of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve Rajesh Kumar also opined that consuming juliflora pods along with other grass etc shouldn’t be a problem.
But Rajesh said there is a need for a larger scientific study to understand the changing feeding habits of elephants and its impact on health. “Studies were done on domestic livestock and it was observed that 30% of their diet can be juliflora pods. For elephants, we don’t know how much is safe. Conducting a study will be difficult since wild elephants will always be on the move. When we find juliflora pods inside elephant stomach during postmortem we will check the liver and other organs for clues,” Rajesh said.
How much is too much?
Experts say elephants feeding on Prosopis juliflora pods is not a new thing. It becomes a problem when they excessively eat them. We don’t know how much is safe