Fw: Death of a Forest Guard - attack by wild elephant (Maharashtra, India)

[Guest guest]

Death of a Forest Guard - attack by wild elephant (Maharashtra, India)

 

 

Fri Dec 14, 2007

 

Dear Pakshimitra

 

 

 

There is a news item from Kudal (south konkan) about the death of a forest guard

 

- Krushna Kadam (48) at village Nivje-Vaghose in Kudal taluka of Sindhudurg

 

district due to attack by a wild elephant.

 

 

 

The region of Mangaon and Kudal taluka has been affected by destruction /

 

attacks by wild elephants coming from Goa / Karnataka. This has been happenning

 

since the last 2 - 3 years. This type of straying of elephants generally

 

happens due to shrinkage of their natural habitat. I am not aware about the

 

action by the forest department to tackle this problem in a holistic way, rather

 

than just chasing the elephants away temporarily.

 

 

 

The forest guard was on duty to carry out assessment of the destruction of

 

horticultural crops by wild elephants in the region. He was attacked by a wild

 

elephant in the evening on 12 Dec. 2007, while returning from his duties.

 

 

 

This is the most unfortunate incident and we condole the sad death of Krushna

 

Kadam while on the duty and hope that his family and dependents will be

 

supported.

 

 

 

This also brings out the issue of insufficient equipment / infrastructure

 

available to the forest staff to perform their duties of protecting the forests

 

and wildlife. I do not know whether there is sufficient insurance cover

 

provided to the field staff, particulary of the lower strata.

 

 

 

I request all of you to write to the PCCF-Maharashtra with our concern about

 

these issues.

 

 

 

Ulhas

 

 

 

Ulhas Rane

 

Moderator

 

Maharashtra Pakshimitra

 

(Pakshimitra = Friends of Birds)

 

 

Fri Dec 14, 2007

 

 

Show Message Option

 

 

 

 

View Source

Use Fixed Width Font

Unwrap Lines

 

 

 

 

 

" Ulhas Rane " <ulhasrane

 

 

ulhasrane

 

Offline

 

Send Email

 

 

Found posted on:

http://pets.mumbainaturalists/message/5030

 

 

Contact:

 

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests - PCCF (Wildlife).

Dr. Ambedkar Bhawan,

MECL Bldg. Seminary Hills & Campus,

Nagpur – 440001,

Maharashtra State,

INDIA Tel: 0712-2526758 / 2530126. Fax –2510671.

Email: cfwl

 

 

Also see:

 

 

 

 

 

State to keep ravaging tuskers at border

 

Ashwin Aghor

 

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

 

 

 

Wild elephants from Karnataka regularly stray into these villages and damage

crops

 

 

Following the ever-increasing incidence of crop damage, and at

times of human killings, by wild elephants on the Maharashtra-Karnataka

border has led the state forest department to consider domesticating

the rampaging tuskers.

 

 

Tired of compensating the farmers for deaths and trampled crop, the

department is trying to explore the utility of the wild animals for

proposed eco-tourism which includes elephant safaris in the various

sanctuaries and national parks in the region.

 

 

“Wild animals that stray into human settlements will be

rehabilitated on a 400-acre land in the possession of the forest

department. Post-domestication, these elephants can also be used for

promoting tourism,” said state forest minister Babanrao Pachpute.

 

 

Wild elephants have been creating havoc for farmers in Marathwada,

with the problem being especially severe in Sindhudurg and Kolhapur

districts.

 

Many of the affected villages lie along the Maharashtra-Karnataka

border. Wild elephants from Karnataka regularly stray into these

village and damage crops, and at times even attack people who try to

turn them away from their farms.

 

 

The state forest department compensates death caused by wildlife

reasons by paying a relief amount of Rs2 lakh to the affected family.

This, while injuries are compensated with relief of up to Rs50,000.

 

 

For now, as a precautionary measure, the state forest department has

started erecting a solar compound wall at the border to prevent

elephants from entering the state.

 

According to sources in forest ministry, the compound will have

sufficient voltage to deter elephants from crossing the border without

harming the animal.

 

 

The department, which is yet to pay nearly Rs4 crore as compensation

across the state, has listed many other hurdles that domestication and

rehabilitation of the wild elephants may be required to clear.

 

A senior forest department official said that finding mahouts for these

elephants could prove to be a difficult affair.

 

 

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1129299

 

 

Also see:

Experts meet to discuss elephant depredation in Maharashtra; Sindhudurg,

October 17, 2006 (WTI News)

 

http://www.wildlifetrustofindia.org/html/news/2006/061016_maharashtra.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

______________________________\

____

Be a better friend, newshound, and

know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

http://mobile./;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ