Chennai, June 29 (BPNS)
The forest officials of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) have constituted 24 teams of forest officials to monitor the movement of herds of elephants from Kerala to Tamil Nadu forest areas.
The elephant migration from the forests of Kerala to the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) generally commence in August but this year it has already begun in June.
M.G. Ganesan, Deputy Director, ATR told BPNS that the reason for the early migration of the elephants was not clear. He said that 24 special teams of forest watchers is constituted to prevent man- animal conflict as the possibilities of migrating elephants reaching human settlements are higher.
Ganesh Ragunathan, Conservationist Biologist working with the Nature Conservation Foundation told BPNS that atleast eight elephant herds will migrate to Valparai and Manamboly forest ranges of the ATR every year.
According to senior forest officials an elephant herd named Monica has already reached the Manombally forest range area on Saturday, June 25th. Ganesh Raghunathan said that the herd that reached Manombally forest range is named Monica herd after its leader, a lady elephant named Monica.
He said, “We have been monitoring the Monica herd for long since 2002 and was led by the female elephant, Monica. The leader of the elephant pack, Monica died in 2018 but the herd comprising of eight elephants has already reached Monambally forest area.”
He also said that at least eight elephant herds reach the forest lands in the ATR area and each comprises 15 to 10 members.
M.G. Ganesan said that the Monica herd enters the human settlements around evening and continues there for a couple of hours. The forest officer said that this was for getting food and called upon the people to monitor the movement of elephants.
Ganesh Raghunathan said that around 150 elephants reach the ATR every year. He called upon the general public not to burst crackers and provoke the elephants.
