Forest activists have urged the Forest Department to take immediate steps to prevent incidents of tourists trespassing Valparai forest areas and taking selfies near elephants, without realising the imminent danger.
Coimbatore: The movement of elephants in the estate areas around Valparai has been on the rise during the last few years. Wild elephants are seen roaming around the tea gardens in Valparai in herds, alone and with their cubs.
There have been allegations that tourists are trespassing into the forest areas to just get a glimpse of the elephants. The trespassing tourists reportedly do not realise the danger of not only taking photographs of the elephants but also posing for selfies with the elephants in the background. Social activists are concerned that elephant-human conflict could arise out of such instances.
12 wild elephants have been camping in a small forest area for about 10 days in the forest area near Koozhangal river near Valparai. The elephants cross the road to drink water at the Pezhangal river, traverse through the tea garden and then go back to the forest.
Aware of the movement of elephants in the area, tourists and tourist guides in Valparai reportedly approach the elephants to take photographs and selfies without realising the danger.
According to the residents of the area, tourists could not be stopped since the Forest Department was not engaged in security duties in the area. Forest activists have demanded that the Forest Department should take immediate steps to prevent wildlife-human conflict since the movement of elephants is on the rise in the Valparai forest areas.