The hidden side of human-elephant conflicts: orphaned calves

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

Negative interactions between elephants and humans have been reported from the Eastern Ghats region for many years now.

Details:

Between 2016 and 2023, unofficial records put elephant deaths by way of electrocution and gunshots in Hosur forest division in Tamil Nadu, at 14.
The Tamil Nadu government has come up with stricter measures to curb electrocution incidents of wildlife.

Human-elephant conflict:

Only 22 per cent of elephant habitat is found within our protected area network – the remaining elephant range lies outside, in places now overrun by people.
The estimated 28,000 wild elephants in India are distributed over about 3% of the country’s geographical area.
An average of 350 peoplehave been killed annually over the last five years (2006–10) in the conflict with elephants.
Elephants damaged an average of 330 sq km of crops annually for the last three years (2008–10).
The Central and State Governments together spend 10 to 15 crore rupees every year on controlling elephant depredation and paying ex-gratia to affected people.
40 – 50 elephants are killed annually while crop-raiding.
Elephant-human conflict is a result of habitat loss and fragmentation.
When the mother elephant dies, the herd or the clan may accept the calf. Families of elephants form a herd and multiple herds form a clan.
Calves younger than two years are heavily dependent on their mothers. They are breastfed 12-14 times a day which makes the separation equally painful for both the mother and the calf.

Action taken to prevent human-elephant conflict:

In March 2023, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) released 14 guidelines for human-wildlife conflict mitigation to promote harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife with a section on managing orphaned/stray elephant calves-in-conflict, covering aspects such as the stress, immunity and hygiene of the calves.
The government is working on securing continuous migratory paths for elephants so that interactions with humans can be minimised.
Illegal tapping from the electricity board (EB) poles is a criminal act that warrants stringent action by the government.
In cases of separation from herds, the immediate response of the forest department is to find opportunities to unite the calf with its herd.
10 calves below the age of one were rescued since 1971 of which seven have survived and are lodged at Theppekadu elephant camp.

Financial arrangements:

The cost of taking care of these calves is borne by the forest department.
Care takers, calf rearing shed, medicines, milk replacers/ feed are the major expenses.
In the camps set up by the forest department, caretakers and sheds are already there.
So, the feeding cost and medicine are the extra expenses needed. This is also covered by existing regular medicine and feed funds. The only additional cost is for the milk replacer given to calves below two years.