: The Forest and Wildlife Department has launched an innovative early warning system (EWS) in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) to reduce wildlife encounter.
The system, installed with the technical assistance of the Nature Conservation Foundation, Valparai, in Tamil Nadu, is coupled to an elephant informant network which receives and passes on messages about elephant presence to people.
When elephants are found in an area, the informant group, including forest watchers and trained local residents, would inform the SMS alert centre of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) office at Sulthan Bathery. The 24-hour functioning centre would send alert messages and voice calls to people living in the vicinity. Elephant presence is also communicated through an LED display board installed at four locations.
“Many a time, the villagers living on the fringes of forest do not get any information on wildlife trespassing into human habitats. This is the major reason for the increasing mortality rate in wildlife encounters, P. Dhaneshkumar, Warden, WWS, told The Hindu .
Five killed in a year
It was reported that five persons, including three tribesmen, were killed in the district in wildlife attack this year. It is expected that the innovative system would help to mitigate human-wildlife conflict to a certain extent, he said .
The pilot project has been launched in four villages — Aranappara, Bavaly, Valluvadi and Thottamoola.
“As many as 20 youths in each villages and all the frontline staff of the department have been trained for the purpose,” Mr. Dhaneshkumar said adding that the project would be expanded to other parts of the sanctuary in the coming days.
