Wild elephant attacks: Forest department to boost patrolling The Hindu February 11, 2025 The Forest Department is considering strengthening patrolling in areas adjoining forests in wake of the fatal elephant attacks reported in various parts of the State during the last few days. Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran announced steps are being adopted to enhance the strength of the forest force by deploying personnel from various divisions for field duty. The Minister has directed the Head of Forest Force to convene a high-level meeting on Wednesday to discuss and strategise these measures. The meeting will be attended by senior officials, including the heads of all divisions within the Forest Department, the Chief Wildlife Warden and senior forest officials. In a bid to boost field operations, officers from various departments such as Social Forestry and Research, who are typically not involved in wildlife-related duties, will now be engaged in patrolling and response activities. Mr. Saseendran pointed out that such steps were being mulled to overcome the ongoing staff shortage within the Rapid Response Teams (RRT) and other sections handling field duties. To address the shortcoming, the Forest Department is also in the process of forming a special unit called the Primary Response Team (PRT). This team will consist of local volunteers and youth from affected areas, aiming to provide additional manpower and community involvement in tackling the issue of wild elephant attacks. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/wild-elephant-attacks-forest-department-to-boost-patrolling/article69207393.ece