Chennai , Aug 12(BPNS)
The Tamil Nadu forest department has commenced various steps to prevent intrusion of Wild elephants in residential areas in Coimbatore district. Sources in the forest department told IANS that the department is already in the process of installing hanging solar fences in the seven forest ranges of the district to prevent wild elephant menace into the residential areas.
Forest department said that according to data available with it wild elephants have entered residential areas in Coimbatore forest range 1636 times till July 2022 , this year. In 2021 , the wild elephant entry in residential areas in Coimbatore forest range was 2206 times. Forest department sources told BPNS that by the end of 2022, the wild elephant reaching residential areas under Coimbatore forest range would be more than that of 2021 if the current trend is not reversed.
However officials said that they are in the process of acquiring battery operated electric sticks that will
produce light and sound to scare elephants away. Other than elephant such battery operated electric sticks could be used to scare other wild animals like sloth bear that attack forest officials occasionally.
It may be noted that the wild elephants have attacked and killed 7 people in 2021 during their entry to residential areas and in 2022, 4 people have already lost their lives in the attack of wild elephants.
The forest department is also planning to raise elephant fodder in 2000 hectares of degraded forests in Mettupalayam and Sirumugai forest ranges. This project, according to officials will be implemented with the support of NABARD. The first officials are hoping that with the raising of elephant fodder in 2000 hectares of forest land and the installation of hanging solar fences, the frequency of entry of wild elephants to residential areas would come down in the days to come.
