Kannur: The residents of the Aralam farm settlement in Kannur are on a hide-and-seek game with wandering wild elephants. An operation to drive the animals back to the forest amid safety concerns from local tribal people is underway. The initiative, involving forest, revenue, and police departments, seeks to address the longstanding threat posed by over 50 elephants in the area.
The wild elephants have already led to 12 fatalities in Aralam over the past 14 years amid ongoing crop damage.
However, the parents of students who are appearing for the SSLC examinations somehow feel relieved as their children have already shifted to hostels, a move prompted by ongoing concerns regarding encounters with wild animals in the region.
The forest department’s efforts to manage the escalating wildlife conflict in the area are in action. However, the residents of Aralam, who are largely dependent on farming, are sceptical about the drive’s effectiveness, fearing elephants are merely being shuffled from farmlands to nearby residential zones rather than being returned to the forest.
With families retreating indoors by early evening to avoid encounters, there is a palpable tension among the roughly 1,500 tribal households settled there, said Sunitha V R, a resident in the relocated area. “People living here will be at home at around 5.30 pm in fear of elephants. Most families are dependent on farming. But they are often damaged by wild animals,” Sunitha added. The availability of enough food and water prompts the elephants to station the area despite multiple human efforts to return them to the forest.
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K Velayudhan, Iritty Block Panchayat President and former member of the local panchayat expressed concerns regarding the initiative to relocate elephants back to the forests. He highlighted that there’s no certainty of success with such efforts, noting that the elephants often end up in residential areas instead of farm areas, potentially exacerbating the problem for inhabitants.
Velayudhan stressed that forest officials must ensure that these animals are returned to the forests rather than just being moved closer to where people live
Efforts to repel the elephants traditionally involve noise disruption via firecrackers by forest officials. Additionally, the forest officials are also planning to repair the damaged fencing to thwart future intrusions by the wild animals.
Despite past failures, authorities are hopeful, with Kannur Divisional Forest Officer Vysakh Sasikumar stating that a more comprehensive strategy is in place, beginning the drive from residential areas and closely monitoring progress daily to ensure the safety and security of the local population.