Chennai, Jan 26 (BPNS)
The forest officials of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) have used bio-repellants to prevent the intrusion of wild elephants into human settlements thus reducing the number of attacks of elephants.
Since December 2021, officials of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) have mixed five ml of bio-repellant in one litre of water and sprayed it around residences and shops in Mudis estate, TANTEA, Sangali road, and Urulikkal.
The forest officials said that the bio-repellant was extracted from a plant and was much harmless and wade away wild elephants from coming into human habitats thus reducing the number of attacks of wild elephants.
The elephants, according to ATR officials can sense the smell of the bio-repellant from as far as one and half kilometers away and stay away from intruding into human settlements.
The ATR officials said that during December 2021, bio-repellants were used in large volumes to prevent wild elephants coming into the settlements.
A senior officer of the Tamil Nadu forest department based at Anamalai told IANS that the number of elephant attacks has reduced since the use of the bio-repellant.
According to him the movement of around 198 to 200 elephants were recorded in Financial Year 2020- 21 but it has come down to 140-150 elephant intrusions in the corresponding period from 2021- to 2022
Studies conducted by the forest department have found that most of these elephants have gone inside to Tamil Nadu- Kerala forests from the Valpara plateau areas.
