Staff Reporter
Nagercoil: The Department of Forest has recorded the presence of 21 elephants in Kanyakumari district in a census taken recently, said the District Forest Officer, Sundara Raju.
He said that 60 forest personnel were involved in the census exercise for three days in the Western Ghats. The presence of elephants was confirmed through eye-witness reports and footprints of the animals. They recorded eight elephants at Kilaviyaru in Kulasekaram range, one elephant at Anai Niruthi in Kaliyal range (Kerala border), three at Vannathiparai, four at Adakadu area and five at Azagiyapandipuram range.
Mr. Raju appealed to the tribals to preserve the identity of elephants (including dwarf ones) in the district.
He also pointed out that many excellent wetlands in Kanyakumari district must be preserved and declared as sanctuaries as thousands of resident and migratory birds flock here annually.
The flora ranges from tropical wet evergreen to tropical dry deciduous and thorn forest at down hills in the district.
