Kashmir of the South

Subject – Environment

Context – Of human-wildlife conflict in the ‘Kashmir of the South’

Concept –

Munnar, one of the most sought-after hill stations in Kerala widely called the “Kashmir of the South” by travel buffs for its scenic beauty and cool climate.
Located 1,600 metres above sea level in the biodiversity hot spot of the Western Ghats, Munnar was once the summer resort of the erstwhile British government in South India.
Increased animal intrusion in places like Munnar was not the fault of wild creatures but that of humans who have claimed its traditional territory and constructed houses and resorts there.
A host of reasons including shrinking habitat of elephants, the tendency to travel through their traditional route, the secondary growth of flora in fringe areas due to less human intervention during the lockdown period and so on might be the reasons for the increased jumbo presence.
Meanwhile, the people of the high range give unique names to these frequently straying elephants.
- While a crop-raiding jumbo was named Padayappa, after Tamil superstar Rajnikanth’s film, another, an expert in breaking metal fences was christened 4G, while one roaming around with a piece of hose stuck to its tusk was known as Hosekomban and one, known for his love for ‘ari’ (rice), was called Arikomban.
- There is also Chillikomban, with twig shaped tusk, the highly dangerous Murivalan and the well-behaved Sugunan.