In an attempt to confront the increasing “Gaur Problem” in the Nilgris, especially in the North Division of the District, forest department officials are not planning to identify and translocate a few problematic individual animals that are constantly creating trouble.
The decision has come after constant attacks on humans in the District with more than two persons dead in recent times. According to a senior official from the Forest Department, they have identified a few problem creating male gaurs that were involved in attacks on humans.
Surrounded by forests on all sides, the District has become a man animal conflict hotspot lately with fatalities on both sides rising rapidly. Since tea estates and constructions have taken up the forested landscape largely, the natural habitat of wild animals had shrunk forcing them to move into populated areas.
While interactions with elephants have changed negatively over the years, those with gaurs have also been turning darker with the animals attacking humans often.
On a positive note, photos of people feeding wild gaurs were also floated in the internet giving a different perception on the way people and gaurs interact. It became a common thing in some part of the district close to the reserve forests where the animals frequently ventured as more number of people started feeding the animal.
Though it raised a concern among many environmentalists, the issue was not solved and gaurs continued to attack people.
While elephants were captured or chased, being local residents, gaurs could not be easily dealt with as some kept coming back. In order to deal with it, officials have decided to identify some of the problematic individuals and translocate them thick forested habitat where they would not create further trouble.
Since taming the gaurs is totally out of the cards and culling not allowed, translocation is the only key. However, how it’s going to be done is still a question as it is a new initiative in this part of the country.
The method which is going to be used by the officials is also unclear as how such a heavy animal is to be transferred into a truck through which it would be taken to another location. The success of the mission can be found only by waiting.