(IN): Forest dept plans jumbo panel to handle not-so-gentle giants

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Forest dept plans jumbo panel to handle not-so-gentle giants

Mohana Dam Posted: Feb 13, 2009 at 0247 hrs IST

 

Kolkata: With rising incidents of man-elephant conflict, the wildlife

wing of the state forest department has come up with a proposal to set

up a committee for capturing elephants.

According to reports published by the department, over 542 people and

222 elephants were killed in these conflicts during the last eight

years. The proposal, which was mooted by the forest department, has

been sent to the Centre for approval. The expert committee will

consist of officials of the state forest department and experts from

across India.

 

The committee is expected to decide on the number of elephants that

will be captured in the state. It will also decide how many of those

captured elephants would be sent to other states or sanctuaries.

 

" We have put forward a proposal to the ministry of forest about

setting up an expert committee on elephants. The rising tension

between human and elephants has compelled us to take such a measure.

We need to capture some elephants in south Bengal and for that we need

the permission of the Centre who will grant it only on the basis of

recommendations of a committee, " said PK Roy, additional principal

conservator of wildlife, state forest department. " The committee which

could have five members at present will decide where and how many

elephants will be caught after evaluating the damage, " he added.

 

According to the data available with the wildlife wing, the rate of

casualties both human and pachyderms has risen in the past few years.

While in 2007, the human toll in such confrontation in north and south

Bengal stood at 44 and 20 respectively, last year the toll rose to 51

in north Bengal and 17 in south Bengal. Apart from the constant rise

in human death, the number of elephant deaths also cannot be avoided.

In 2007, 31 elephants were killed and last year the figure rose to 45.

According to S B Mondal, the principal chief conservator of forests,

wildlife and chief wildlife warden, incidents of elephant-man

encounters are not a new phenomenon. However, there has been a steady

rise in the number of clashes because of the increasing population of

both elephants and human. " Such conflicts have become more severe in

recent times due to the shrinking habitats and increased human

encroachment in and around the forests. Elephants, anyway, have the

habit of getting into the human habitat and with the increase in their

number due to proper conservation these incidents have become

frequent, " Mondal said.

 

 

In the past one decade, elephant population has doubled and the number

today stands at about 400 to 450 in north Bengal with another 100 in

south Bengal. According to Roy, usually the dense human habitat and

thick forests around the villages result in more conflicts in south

Bengal at present.

 

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