The district administration has introduced a ‘wild animal repellent’ to save standing crops from stray wild animals.
The repellent, Neelbo, being synthesized using naturally available substances, is used to chase away stray wild animals invading ranches and causing damage. Neelbo is used to chase away wild boars, porcupines, blue bulls and rodents that badly destroy crops either by biting, cutting and trampling at various stages.
As farmers have their farms close to the Western Ghats from Thirukkurunkudi to Sivagiri, in interior areas like Thaazhaiyooththu, Gangaikondan and Abhishekapatti and Ramar hillock near Alangulam face serious threat from elephants, Indian gaur, sambar deer, spotted deer and wild boars, solar electric fencing is erected. Deep trenches are dug along the hilly region to check the wild animal invasion. All these measures are of little help to farmers.
Though the farmers repeatedly ask the Department of Forest to remove wild boars from scheduled list of animals to enable cultivators hunt down these animals on entering ranches, officials say that the affected farmers, who should not take any such action on their own, should inform them so that they would visit the spot to shoot down the wild boars damaging crops. Unfortunately, this arrangement has not helped the farmers in any way, the cultivators say.
Now, the wild animal repellent, Neelbo, is likely to give relief to the farmers. Collector Shilpa Prabhakar Satish, who handed over the repellent to 20 farmers of Thaazhaiyooththu, who suffer heavy damage to their vegetable crops by the invading spotted deer herds from the Gangaikondan Deer Park, said the distribution of repellent was an initiative by ATMA (Agricultural Technology Management Agency) in 12 blocks where farmers were facing serious problems from wild animals. In the first phase, the repellent has been given to the Thaazhaiyooththu farmers.
One litre of Neelbo should be diluted with 40 litres of water in which jute rope or fabric threads should be soaked overnight. This jute rope or fabric thread should be tied at a height of one feet or 1.50 feet from the ground around the farm.
“The smell emanating from the jute rope or fabric thread chases away wild animals for at least 20 days. Field trials, which have proved its efficacy, have shown that the mixture does not harm the animals or the farmers. Those who are in need of Neelbo may contact the ATMA agriculture officers,” Ms. Shilpa said.
Deputy Director of Agriculture V. Balasubramanian was present.
