Human-animal conflict increased in Wayanad
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Human-animal conflict increased in Wayanad
Subject :Environment
Context: In the latest in a series of wild elephant attacks in Kerala, a daily worker, was attacked by a rouge elephant at Sulthan Bathery town adjacent to the Wayanad wildlife Sanctuary.
About Human animal conflict
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary:
- Established in 1973, the sanctuary is now an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
- It is bounded by the protected area network of Nagarhole National Parkand Bandipur National Park in Karnataka in the northeast, and on the southeast by Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu.
- It is part of theDeccan Plateau and the vegetation is predominantly of the south Indian moist deciduous teak forests.
- Kabini river (a tributary of Cauvery river) flows through the sanctuary.
- Theforest types include South Indian Moist Deciduous forests, West coast semi-evergreen forests and plantations of teak, eucalyptus.
- The wildlife sanctuary comes under Protect Elephant.
- Scheduled tribeshere include Paniyas, Kurubas, Adiyans, Kurichiyas, Ooralis and Kattunaikkans.
About Elephants:
- Asian Elephants:
- There are three subspecies of Asian elephant which are the Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan.
- The Indian subspecies has the widest range and accounts for the majority of the remaining elephants on the continent.
- Global Population: Estimated 20,000 to 40,000.
- IUCN Red List:
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I.
- CITES: Appendix I
- African Elephants:
- There are two subspecies of African elephants, the Savanna (or bush) elephant and the Forest elephant.
- Global Population: Around 4,00,000.
- IUCN Red List Status:
- African Savanna Elephant: Endangered.
- African Forest Elephant: Critically Endangered
- CITES: Appendix II
About Elephant Corridors:
- Elephant corridors are narrow strips of land that connect two large habitats of elephants. Elephant corridors are crucial to reduce animal fatalities due to accidents and other reasons. So fragmentation of forests makes it all the more important to preserve migratory corridors.
- The movement of elephants is essential to ensure that their populations are genetically viable.
- Nearly 40% of elephant reserves are vulnerable, as they are not within protected parks and sanctuaries. Also, the migration corridors have no specific legal protection.
- Forests that have turned into farms and unchecked tourism are blocking animals’ paths. Animals are thus forced to seek alternative routes resulting in increased elephant-human conflict.
