Human-elephant conflict: Karnataka to hand over six trained elephants to Andhra
Karnataka is preparing to hand over six ‘kumki’ (trained) elephants to Andhra Pradesh to help tackle the human-elephant conflict, especially in the border districts.
On May 21, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will be handing over the elephants to Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan at a function to be held on the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha.
The transfer of the pachyderms (four from Dubare and two from Sakrebailu) is part of the MoU signed between the two states last September and is meant to exchange best practices in handling and capturing wild elephants. The ‘kumki’ elephants are trained to lead the wild elephants away from human habitations and buffer zones.
“This move will strengthen the ties between the two states. The elephant capture operations in Chittoor and Parvathipuram Manyam districts in Andhra will also help prevent the entry of poachers into (Kolar in Karnataka),” said Karnataka Forest minister Eshwar Khandre, adding that the elephants identified for Dasara festivities would be retained.
The wildlife activists have opposed the move to transfer elephants expressing concern over their safety. The government failing to protect the elephant habitats and the corridors has led to wild elephants straying into human habitations, rue activists and farmers aggrieved by elephant menace in the state.
Karnataka houses 6,395 wild elephants, the highest in India. The human-elephant conflict is on the rise owing to shrinking forest land and the growing wildlife population. Elephants sightings have become common not just in Malnad region like Kodagu, Hassan, and Chikmagalur, but also in Ramanagara district, which is 50 km away from Bengaluru. The government plans to construct a 2,000-hectare elephant sanctuary within the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary as more than 150 wild elephants have been found to be roaming outside forest areas and there is a need to relocate them through a mini Khedda-style operation, say forest authorities.
Last August, during a ministerial level meeting of southern states at the International Conference on Elephant-Human Conflict Management held in Bengaluru, Khandre had suggested that the ministers submit a request to the Centre for Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) funds to install railway barricades.
Incidentally, the state has lost 294 elephants since 2021-22 and 51 have died due to unnatural causes like electrocution, road or train accidents. The state also saw 2,500 human -elephant conflicts and 350 human deaths in the last 10 years. The death compensation has been enhanced to Rs 20 lakh.
India