Coimbatore: With the conflict between man and elephant ever on the rise, former Dean of Wildlife Institute of India A.J.T. Johnsingh has recommended contraception of wild elephants to bring down the population of the pachyderm.
Coimbatore: With the conflict between man and elephant ever on the rise, former Dean of Wildlife Institute of India A.J.T. Johnsingh has recommended contraception of wild elephants to bring down the population of the pachyderm.
Johnsingh who was at the Ecological Festival for Western Ghats in Coimbatore today was responding to a question on man-animal conflict. “In Africa, contraception is given to female elephants so that they do not give birth for three years. If we could try that in India, the population could be reduced,” he said.
Claiming that around 500 people in India are being killed by elephants each year, he stated that no other country would allow its people to be killed by elephants.
Talking about the carrying capacity of the forests of India, Johnsingh opined that the quality of the habitat was poorer than the size, as invasive species have taken over prime elephant habitats.
“Plants like lantana camera are grown upto ten feet in Tiger Reserves including Mudumalai, where regeneration of the natural forest is happening at a very low density. This may not produce fodder for the increasing elephant population. Hence, elephants are coming out of reserve forests,” he opined.
He also urged to take continuous measures in the eradication of invasive plants in elephant habitat as only repeated efforts could bring down conflict. Talking about elephant corridors, Johnsingh said that three corridors including the Kallar, Aryankavu and Mukurthi should be given more focus and protected to ensure safe passage for elephants and reduction of conflict.