Elephants in Coimbatore Forest Division died of multiple reasons such as gastrointestinal problems, fight among elephants, accidental fall from slopes and ageing, the Forest Department said in reply to a petition sent by a Coimbatore-based nature enthusiast to the Chief Minister’s Special Cell.
The reply from District Forest Officer D. Venkatesh also mentions that female elephants died of abuse by male elephants during pregnancy.
However, the Department has not included shooting, as in the case of an elephant killed near Mettupalayam this year, and mouth injuries suffered by some elephants, purportedly due to the explosion of country made bombs, among the causes of deaths, alleged petitioner Umesh Marudhachalam.
“The causes listed by the Department do not mention human interventions that lead to conflict and deaths. The Department should also take efforts to find root causes of diseases due to which elephants die. Samples of water from places including Sirumugai, where several elephants died this year, should be tested in appropriate laboratories,” he said. So far, 20 elephants died of various reasons in the forest division this year.
The DFO’s reply said there was no officially or legally declared elephant corridor in Coimbatore Forest Division, but two corridors namely Anaikatti north-Anaikatti south corridor and Jaccanaire Slope - Hulikal Durgam were identified in the book Right of Passage released by the Government of India.
The Department said there was no regulation or restriction on cattle grazing inside reserve forests in Coimbatore Forest Division as it was not a protected area with core and buffer zones. Apart from the forest squad, the vigilance wing monitored wildlife offences in the division, said the Department.
Mr. Marudhachalam wanted the Department to form an apex committee with the participation of local people for conservation activities.
