Aim is to prevent herds from getting close to human habitations, but without affecting their migration

With the elephant migration season under way, Forest Department personnel from the Nilgiris division have been asked to ensure there are no deaths owing to elephants getting close to human settlements.

The department officials said a herd of elephants was spotted near Thuthurmattam and Kolakombai last week and the local residents had put pressure on them to drive the animals away. Operations by the department eventually drove the animals towards Anaipallam and Pilloor Mattam.

Conservationists, however, have urged the public to be more tolerant of elephant herds, as these were only undertaking their seasonal migration, which would only ensure that their habitats rejuvenated over the coming months.

B. Ramakrishnan, Assistant Professor at the Department of Zoology and Wildlife Biology, explained that most elephant herds migrated either to the upper slopes of the Nilgiris, such as Mukurthi, or towards Sathyamangalam and Thengumarahada in the Sigur plateau in the end of November and the in first few weeks of December.

Hospitable terrain

“Usually, herds with young calves prefer to migrate towards flatter, more hospitable terrain,” said Mr. Ramakrishnan, adding that more studies were needed to establish the patterns of migrations among elephant herds, to understand their home ranges better.

“If a herd is just passing through a habitation to another area as part of their migratory cycle, the forest department could simply ensure that there are no deaths among humans or elephants arising out of conflict, and effectively manage the situation,” he added.

N. Mohanraj, a conservationist from the Nilgiris believes that with the elephant population recovering, more herds are looking to expand their territories towards the Nilgiris’ upper slopes.

“More matriarchs are looking for easier food sources for their herds, and if the herds are not discouraged from seeking new territory early on, it could result in more elephants raiding crops in the upper Nilgiris,” he said.

Forest department officials said they were trying to manage the situation by chasing away the elephant herds only when they came close to human settlements, but without interfering in the migration.