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Human-wild elephant conflicts are on the rise in hill districts As tourist season peaks in Munnar,visitors are playing a dangerous game of getting down from their vehicles not only to have a close look at the elephants but to even take selfies. On Wednesday, a lone wild tusker- who locals lovingly call Ganeshan- stood on the Munnar -Marayoor road helplessly, sometimes even charging at tourists who yelled, rode their bikes and took selfies in the backdrop of the elephant. Project Elephant member Dr P.S. Easa said that tourists should know how to behave in the wilderness and keep a safe distance from the elephants. ÒThey should not drive towards the elephant nor switch on the lights or blare the horns. They should wait for the elephant to move out,ÕÕ he said. photo by: TOI
Kochi: In the wake of the killing of a housewife, Jessy, in an elephant attack at Meppadi in Wayanad last week, the Co-Existence Collective in Kerala noted that uncontrolled tourism and illegal constructions in the Camel Hump hills were the main reasons for the ongoing and increasing human-elephant conflict in areas like Mundakkai and Chooralmala.The collective accused political functionaries and people’s representatives of seeking shortcuts to escape public anger by creating temporary solutions and avoiding facts. Jessy’s death was attributed to corruption, negligence and inaction of the district administration and Meppadi panchayat. They demanded a Rs 50-lakh compensation for Jessy’s family and a job for one of her dependents in the panchayat office or collectorate.In 2011, the collective noted that a herd of elephants climbed from the Nilambur valley to Wayanad and got stranded in the Mundakkai-Chooralmala area, unable to return. This herd has made the area from Mundakkai to Lakkidi its habitat. The then south Wayanad DFO had repeatedly recommended that the forest authorities take action to send them back to the expansive habitat in Nilambur. The Wayanad Nature Conservation Committee also raised the same demand, but the authorities did not heed it.
Recently, numerous illegal constructions have taken place on the slopes from Mundakkai to Lakkidi in the name of tourism. They include resorts, homestays, glass bridges, tents and off-road ride facilities. Tunnel construction is also a cause of the current grave situation. More than 500 jeeps travel day and night on the forest roads in Thollayiramkandi. Even after the 2024 landslide, illegal land transfers and tourism activities are rampant on the hillsides.
At night, many jeeps ply on off roads with searchlights and noise, disrupting the peaceful life of wild animals, including elephants. The frequent landslides and mudslides every year affect their living conditions.“Uncontrolled tourism and illegal constructions in the Camel Hump hills occur with the full support of political party leaders, representatives, district administration, and Meppadi and Vythiri panchayats. Illegal constructions on the slopes should be demolished, off-road rides should be banned, and the forest department’s eco-tourism should be ended. Unless these steps are taken, more lives like that of Jessy will be lost, and protest dramas will keep unfolding, Co-Existence Collective members said.
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