Troubling times for the elephants of Orissa
Earlier this month three elephants were reported to have died in Keonjhar District in the Indian State of Orissa, after allegedly coming into contact with overhead power lines that were hanging lower than the regulation height above the ground. This follows the shocking reports of perhaps as many as 18 (or even more) elephants being poached not far away in Simlipal Tiger Reserve in April and May.
In a census conducted in April, the Orissa elephant population was calculated to be 1,886 individuals, but these are beset on all sides by a number of threats. Extensive habitat loss and disturbance from numerous mining operations in the state, exacerbated by a network of canals and irrigation systems serving the industry, have carved up the landscape and left the elephants trapped in areas too small to sustain them. This has forced them to move elsewhere, and unprecedented incidents of elephants in and around human settlements have been reported, leading to increasing conflicts with people. Elephant Family is currently working with the Wildlife Protection Society of India in this region to develop ways of overcoming some of these obstacles for elephants and creating new routes through which they can pass without coming into conflict with people. But in the meantime, incidents of electrocution and poaching add to the woes of an already stressed and harassed elephant population.
Ivory poaching is not as much of a threat to Asian elephants as habitat loss, and is certainly not on the scale affecting African elephants. But it is nevertheless an increasing concern. Following the reports of poaching in Simlipal Tiger Reserve, the National Tiger Conservation Authority called on Belinda Wright – the director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India – and Biswajit Mohanty of the Wildlife Society of Orissa, as an independent assessment team. While there was no evidence to suggest that any forest staff of the reserve was involved in the killing of elephants, their investigation found that the staff chose not to report the deaths, and deliberately tried to conceal them by burning the evidence. It was also observed that the forest staff felt unable to carry out their routine tasks for fear of attack by extremists that had carried out numerous attacks in early 2009. Furthermore, an atmosphere of distrust and animosity had grown up between the forest department and local people. As such the forest staff had become unable to turn away large hunting parties from entering the park.
Among the assessment team’s 25 recommendations, the establishment of an independent monitoring team and improved relations with the local communities to engender their support were seen as critical to prevent further poaching. Furthermore, it was recommended that the state government take strong action against the field staff responsible for concealing the deaths. All that has been done so far is that departmental proceedings have been initiated against one range officer, while three field staff have been placed under suspension.
As for the electrocution of elephants, it seems that poorly maintained power lines are claiming the lives of elephants on an increasingly alarming scale throughout India, and this situation needs more attention. Three engineers of the private power distribution company responsible for the three deaths in Orissa were booked under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, and the Ministry of Environment and Forests last week set up a committee to study the situation and submit a report within a month. Examining previous cases of electrocution as well as the most recent, the committee will look into the status of the protection system in the power lines passing through the forest area and ways of improving the system so that elephants and other animals can be protected.
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written by Dan Bucknell on 16th August 10
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