Eleven tuskers, who have been gorging on a buffet of cultivated crop in Nelamangala, have kept forest officials on their toes for over a month. While the department is attempting to drive the elephants back to the forests, what is noteworthy is that villagers are being trained to ‘deal’ with the conflict – a move that has perhaps led to minimal casualties in the area.
The elephants are believed to have come from the forest around Savandurga. They split up into smaller groups in Nelamangala. An estimated 10 properties have seen some damage due to the tuskers in the past four days, but forests officials said 118 people sought compensation for crop loss in the past three months.
“We have attempted to chase them, and scare them back into the forests with firecrackers, but it has not worked. The elephants camp in Adarangi forest and continue to stray into farm land,” said Vanita, Range Forest Officer, Nelamangala.
The 11 elephants are believed to have split from a larger group while migrating from the Western Ghats to Bannerghatta.
“What is surprising is that even though they are all males, there has not been any report of violence or adverse behaviour. Our officers are camping near the villages. We have given crackers to the farmers to light whenever they spot elephants. We have told them not to step out of their homes at night and be careful in the early dawn. By not scaring the elephants, we can manage their movements,” said Nagesh S., Assistant Conservator of Forests (Nelamangala).
Conservationist Sanjay Gubbi believes the appearance of elephants in the area is a ‘recent’ phenomenon with Tumakuru district recording the first sighting in March 1998. “The elephants are extending their range and this is causing problems for farmers in the area. Relocation should be tried, along with strengthening of physical barriers in Bannerghatta National Park, particularly on the northern and eastern fringes,” he said.
Elephants disturbed
The man-elephant conflict around Savandurga forest has caused concern before with the Karnataka Elephant Task Force – in a report submitted to the Karnataka High Court in 2012 – identifying the area, along with Alur in Hassan district, as ‘elephant removal zones’ for the ‘unacceptable levels’ of conflict.
A recent study by professors at Manipal University and TERI on the conflict shows that the natural movement of the elephants has been disturbed in nearly three-fourths of the area around the forest due to grazing, farmland encroachment, illegal encroachment and quarrying activities. Fragmentation of forest in the area is a concern, notes the study.
They note that 58 villages have reported man-elephant conflict around the forest. These conflicts peak in two seasons: during mango harvesting in April-May and during finger millet and paddy harvesting from September to December.
Previous instances
February 2015: Herd of six elephants seen crossing highways
November 2014: Three teams of forest officials struggle to drive seven elephants, including four tuskers, away from Lakshmansandra tank in Tumakuru
January 2014: 12 elephants ‘stray’ into cultivated land in Nelamangala taluk
October 2013: More than 30 forest officials struggle to drive nine elephants, including three calves, from Tumakuru taluk back to Adarangi forest
July-August 2013: A tusker that had separated from its herd in the Adarangi forest kills two persons in Tumakuru and Chitradurga districts
