Intense summer and the resultant shortage of foliage and water in interior forests are forcing elephants to forage into farmlands only to get brutally killed.
Wild elephants raiding farmlands on forest fringes for food and water are falling prey to poisoning and fire crackers.
The death of an animal at Kunthiripuzha in the Malayattoor forest is the latest such incident.
The elephant, which might have chewed on some firecrackers, met with a painful death, as parts of its mouth got severely damaged. The carcass was found near a water body.
While forest officials suspect that local farmers might have planted the firecracker to scare away the animals, environmentalists accused the authorities of looking the other way, as elephants were being hunted down.
Recently, Malayattoor, Vazhachal, and Munnar forest divisions were in the news following reports of as many as 18 elephants getting hunted down. Forest officials had picked up 49 people and seized 15 guns and 489 kg ivory from.
According to environmentalist John Peruvanthanam, around 90 elephants were killed across the State in the same manner over the last four years.
“With its high density of elephant population, the Pooyamkutty forest has become a danger spot for them. Yet, the authorities have not taken effective measures for the protection of the animals,” he said.
Most cases in which the carcasses of elephants were found near water bodies could be those in which they were killed by forest encroachers by poisoning or using firecrackers. Till now, no arrests have been made, Mr. Peruvanthanam said.
The animals are also being denied access to water sources, thanks to an irrigation canal, thus forcing them to enter farmlands and plantations. Such unscientific constructions also lead to increased instances of man-animal conflicts, he reminded.
A senior forest official, who preferred not to be quoted, confirmed the arguments of the environmentalist. The natural response of such injured or poisoned animals would be to rush to rivers, as they become weak and unable to eat.
Incidentally, in the latest case also, the animal carcass was found near a water body, he said.
With summer gaining intensity, there could be more instances of elephants straying into plantations, exposing themselves to risk, he said.
P.O. Nameer, a wildlife expert, said the unscientific construction of protective fences cutting through the elephant corridor would aggravate instances of human-animal conflicts.
