Centre can take lesson from Tamil Nadu jumbo rehab

Wildlife activists in Nilgiris want the Centre to take lessons from how captured rogue wild elephants have been rehabilitated at Kumki elephant camp at Muduamalai Tiger Reserve (MTR).

There were incidents in the past in the hills when problematic elephants, panthers and bears were successfully captured, rehabilitated and trans-located.

Nilgiris Wildlife and Environment Association treasurer B. Muruganandam pointed out about the capturing of the makhna elephant (tuskless male elephant), now christened as Moorthi, and being reared at the MTR elephant camp.

“This elephant accounted for killing of over dozen lives in the Nilgiris-Kerala border in the late ’90s and the forest teams scripted success in 1998 by capturing it alive and shifted it to MTR camp where it has reformed itself into a soft gentle giant over the years,” he said.

The incident relates to Operation Malai in 2013 when three elephants were from Tiruvannamalai and shifted to MTR, where they underwent rehabilitation.

“These episodes prove that rogue and nuisance animals can be successfully rehabilitated and reformed there is no need to go for the killing of the animals,” he added.

Nilgiris Environment and Socio-cultural Trust managing trustee V. Sivadass said caring for wildlife has been the culture of India since ancient times and wild animals are worshipped in this country.

The thought of conservation was deeply imbibed in the minds of people. It is not prudent to kill animals when they stray and cause some damage. That can be rectified by taking appropriate steps to deal with, he said.

“The MoEF should consult wildlife activists spread across the country to elicit their views to evolve new mechanisms to handle man-animal conflict and save innocent animals, which usually stray into human settlements in search of food. They don’t stray with the intention to cause damage to life and property of humans,” he said.