The straying of wild elephants into the pilgrims’ base camp at Nilackal and Urakkuzhy areas near Paandithavalom in the upper reaches of Sabarimala Sannidhanam during the past 48 hours have created panic among the pilgrims camping at these places.
A herd of nearly eight elephants, including two calves, have strayed into the Urakkuzhy area on Sunday night. It was the second time the pachyderms have conducted a night raid in the Urakkuzhy area, destroying a shop there, sources said.
Another herd of wild elephants have strayed into the pilgrims’ main base camp at Nilackal on Monday night. According to Forest department sources, the elephants, including calves, were found straying into the base camp from the forests near Kaduvathode stream.
However, the Forest squad deployed at Nilackal managed to divert the pachyderms back into the forests, later.
Wild elephants straying in herds to the incinerator yard at Nilackal was a regular feature during the previous pilgrim season too. They stray into the base camp for feeding on the ash as well as flowers and leafy decorative pieces left by the pilgrims.
The elephants and other animals consuming plastic along with the sugary leftovers like empty tetra packets of fruit juices and soft drinks was a high health risk for the wild fauna, sources said.
Changes in eco system
The changes taking place in the forest eco system, mainly owing to the climate change, have been leading to frequent straying of wild animals into human habitation in the forest areas of Sabarimala, Ranni, and Konni in recent times.
Recently, Pampa, Nilackal and Attathode reportedly showed growing incidence of wild animals straying into the human habitation and workers’s camps from the drought-hit forest interiors in search of water. Wild animals straying into the bordering villages, sending panic waves among the villagers, has become common along the forest fringes of Konni and Ranni during the summer months.
The spontaneous reaction of the panicky people to protect themselves from these wild beasts often results in many wildlife casualties too.
Instances of leopards, king cobras, and wild elephants, straying into the villages along the forest fringes have become more frequent in recent years.
Experts attached to Forest department attribute this to the shortage of food and water inside the forests.
Environmentalists say the indiscriminate granite quarrying from the close vicinity of virgin forests over the past several years too has contributed to the alarming depletion of the ground water table even in the forests.
