Kolhapur: Tuskers spotted, foresters tell farmers not to visit farms at night ( State of Maharashtra, India)
Kolhapur: Tuskers spotted, foresters tell farmers not to visit farms at
night ( State of Maharashtra, India)
The Times of India
June 8, 2021
See link
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolhapur/tuskers-spotted-foresters-tell-farmers-not-to-visit-farms-at-night/articleshowprint/83316323.cms
for photo.
KOLHAPUR: Farmers in the Shivdav village in Bhudargad have stopped going to
their farms though it is time to do sowing and other pre-monsoon activities.
Reason: An elephant has prolonged his stay in the Rede Ohol forest area in
the village. Several acres of farmlands have been destroyed due to the
march of this animal.
Kerba Chougale, age 65, a farmer from Shivdav, said, “The tusker has been
seen at night in the farms of Shivdav for the last five days. The elephant
stays in the forest during the day time and comes to the villages at night
to visit the sugar cane farms. We haven't yet completed our monsoon farming
activities and even our farm workers are not ready to come.”
The foresters are trying to trace the tusker but haven't yet been able to
trace it. The gram samiti of Shivdav has advised farmers not to go to the
farms at night. Whereas, in Gudwale village in Chandgad taluka, a tusker
family comprising one male, one female and two calves have been spotted. It
has created panic among the villagers in Chandgad.
Dnyaneshwar Rakshe, range forest officer for Chandgad, said, “These tuskers
had shifted to Dodamarg in Konkan region in February month and were
expected to return back to Chandgad in September. This time may be due to
unavailability of nutrient food, they have returned back early in the
Chandgad forest region.”
Rakshe added that the current location is around the Khalsa Gudwale village
and the farmers and villagers have been advised not to go out in farms at
night time and also not to woo the animals. A forest department patrolling
vehicle has been alerting the villagers via audible warnings about the
return of the animal in advance. “The male tusker might get aggressive if
they are disturbed as he is with his family,” he said.
Availability of good farm food like sugar cane, paddy, banana and coconut
in the Chandgad region makes it a good habitat for the elephants. The wild
tuskers keep moving between Dodamarg and Chandgad forest region, added
Rakshe.