From Elephant Whisperers to Annihilators? It’s people who need to be relocated...
From Elephant Whisperers to Annihilators? It’s people who need to be
relocated...
Sangita Iyer, The New Indian Express
April 30, 2023
A terrifying scene unfolded over the weekend for a herd of elephants in the
Idukki district of the southern Indian state of Kerala.
A majestic and famous bull elephant Arikomban was peacefully grazing with
young bulls in his bachelor group, when humans terrorized them by setting
off firecrackers, in their vicious efforts to disorient and scatter them,
so they can capture Arikomban.
After almost a month of preparations and two days packed with unexpected
twists and turns, they finally tranquilized and captured the elusive
elephant.
As an intelligent animal, Arikomban must have sensed the trouble that
humans were causing for him and his friends. Chakkakomban, perhaps the next
elephant being targeted, did all he could to prevent people from taking
away his buddy, Arikomban. But four kumki (tamed) elephants shoved him into
a wooden enclosure surrounded by the terrifying aliens that captured him.
So began Arikomban’s arduous journey into another forest, shrouded in
secrecy, to an “undisclosed location”, although all directions pointed to
the Periyar Tiger Reserve near Thekkady in Idukki. This majestic animal has
been ripped from his bachelor group and female friends, pushed into a dense
and unknown forest where he now has to find his way to survive and make new
friends. One can only imagine the trauma of separation that Arikomban and
the other inexperienced bulls left behind in Chinnakanal must be suffering.
Now, for a moment, imagine something like this happening to a man! There
would be mass protests on the streets, politicians would exploit the
opportunity to score political points and cause agitation, and the media
circus would be second to none. In contrast, not one politician spoke out
for Arikomban, nor the media descriptions favoured him.
In fact, one member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly near the
Parambikulam Reserve, did everything he could, not only to prevent the
translocation of Arikomban near his constituency, but also to capture him
for permanent captivity. But that didn’t work!
Activists & Kerala High Court
Thanks to the local activists who launched a writ petition after the Kerala
High Court (KHC) had initially ordered Arikomban’s capture. It inspired the
justice bench to thoroughly investigate the dark nexus of land transfers
and sales that is exacerbating human-elephant conflict, and examine the
appalling treatment of captive elephants in Kerala, resulting in a powerful
declaration: “Capturing Arikomban for permanent captivity is not an option.”
Despite political pressures, the two Hon. Justices vehemently upheld their
constitutional obligations, granting Arikomban his right to be wild and
free. Although it would have been ideal to leave Arikomban back in
Chinnakanal where he belongs, the judges were unwilling to take that risk,
fearing conflict escalation.
Separation & Detrimental Effect on Other Bulls
However, the decision to relocate Arikomban into another forest could have
a detrimental effect on the other bulls. The absence of a leader to guide
the remaining young bulls could drive them to become hyper-vigilant and
aggressive toward people, potentially wreaking more havoc.
People near Chinnakanal now have to deal with the wrath of Chakkakomban,
who’s probably traumatized after his friend had been taken away from him.
And who knows what awaits one of the gentlest bulls, Padayappa? How many
bull elephants will they capture? Where will they relocate/ house these
elephants, as encroachment into the remaining forest patches continue
unabated?
Contrary to the belief that capturing bull elephants will solve all the
problems, such indiscriminate actions will only exacerbate human-elephant
conflict, according to a cutting-edge study entitled, “All-Male Groups in
Asian Elephants: A Novel, Adaptive Social Strategy in Increasingly
Anthropogenic Landscapes of Southern India”. It focuses on how the removal
of one bull elephant from a bachelor group would have a detrimental impact
on the other young bulls.
Lead scientist and wildlife biologist, Dr Nishant Srinivasaiah, has studied
around 300 free-ranging bull Asian elephants over a decade. He says, “When
an elephant, who’s probably a key member in his own or her own society is
lost, then there are consequences to the society of the elephant itself.
So, they don’t know how to avoid people necessarily, they tend to become
more aggressive because they’re inexperienced.”
More importantly, bull elephants are critically endangered with only around
1200 left, at an alarming 4.4% of the total number of 27,000 elephants
across India. Rampant poaching hasn’t spared the bulls either, as only
Asian bull elephants have tusks. And not to mention Kerala’s festivals that
exploit mostly bull elephants. These and other human activities such as
poisoning and rampant development are threatening the survival of an
already endangered species.
Reckless Land Grab...
Arikomban’s story has exposed the insidious truth behind reckless land
grab, encroachments and other illegal activities in Kerala, to which the
authorities seem to be turning a blind eye. The fact is, the grasslands and
forests where elephants and other animals used to graze freely have been
decimated and are being categorically converted into cardamom, coffee, and
tea plantations, even as resorts and other tourist attractions are
sprawling. Left with nowhere else to go, famished and homeless elephants
are entering villages built on what used to be their home once upon a time.
What else can we expect?
Here's the crux of the problem…
Land fragmentation caused by human settlements and plantations fenced off
by live electrical wires are not only blocking ancient migratory pathways
and elephant corridors, but also accelerating elephant deaths caused by
electrocution
Anayirangal, one of the landscapes that elephants prefer the most, lost a
whopping 276 hectares of land to 559 families of landless tribes in 2003,
as per a government order in August 2002
85% of the settlements near Anayirangal are prone to high conflict,
worsened by people implementing unscientific and aggressive methods to
drive away elephants, which is pushing them to retaliate
Back in 2010, the central government of India constituted a committee to
investigate if the Forest Protection Act 1980 was being violated in Kerala,
based on a petition filed by a non-profit organisation. The inconsistencies
and suspicious land transfers discovered during the investigation prompted
the central government to force the forest department to notify 17,349
acres of land immediately. The report also highlights concerns regarding
the assignment of pattas (land ownership document) by the Revenue
Department without consulting the Forest Department.
At the heart of the problem is reckless land management and land transfers.
The Inspection Report of the Central Team Constituted to Examine Violations
of The Forest Conservation Act 1980 in Munnar says, “There is wide spread
fear/apprehension that lands set apart for afforestation in Munnar Division
may also be distributed for non-forestry purposes by the District
Administration/State Government in future particularly in view of the
District Administration distributing pattas in Kuttiyar valley without
complying with the provisions/spirit of the Forest Conservation Act 1980
and orders of the Supreme Court dated 12.121996 in WP 202/95”.
Furthermore, eight years before this investigation was launched, Kerala
cadre IFS officer, former Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Munnar, now a
senior PCCF, Prakriti Srivastava, had issued a dire warning against
allowing human settlements in Chinnakanal. “I as the DFO Munnar, had
objected to the proposal of assigning this land considering that the
habitat was a known Elephant corridor, and informed all the authorities
regarding the perils of doing so.” But her objections fell on deaf ears.
The 301 Colony has only 50 tribal homes left, and people there are actually
pleading to be relocated. Perhaps, the forest officials, and even the
committee constituted by the KHC may have made a colossal mistake by
recommending the capture and relocation of Arikomban.
But there’s something even more insidious that demands urgent attention.
It’s the proverbial ‘elephant in the room’ – the ballooning human
population – a topic that no one wants to touch. India is poised to become
the most densely populated country this year – four years earlier than it
was estimated to surpass China (in 2027).
In order to sustain the burgeoning human population, unsustainable
development has become a common feature across India. Railways and roadways
cutting through the forests are killing elephants at a calamitous rate.
Uninsulated and low hanging wires traversing across the forests, and
illegal electrical fencing around the agricultural land on forest fringes
have become the single gravest threat to elephants.
Meanwhile, even as elephants and other wild animals continue to face
multiple threats, some scientists are recommending contraception for
elephants. Wait a minute now! There are 1.41 billion people and only 27,000
elephants in India. Whose population needs to be controlled? Apparently,
it’s much easier to project human problems on elephants or other wildlife
than dealing with them honestly. This kind of distorted mentality doesn’t
serve people nor elephants. Human population is out of control, but they
want to control the elephant population. Elephants are entering villages
built in core forests, but they blame the elephants and capture them.
And the media’s sensational headlines don’t really help the cause. Flashing
across the TV screens are “rogue elephant Arikomban”, “terrorizing the
villagers” etc., when it’s humans who are terrorizing Arikomban and other
elephants. They are simply reacting to the aggressive humans. The media
should know better, and scientists should acknowledge the root cause of all
human wildlife conflict – human population explosion.
Changing the attitudes can be possible if the authorities can boldly
enforce the existing laws of the land, by capturing “rogue humans”, and
imposing harsh penalties for encroaching into the forest land. Instead of
aiding and abating human settlements which puts people and animals in
harm’s way, they can protect Kerala’s rich natural treasures, not only for
the sake of future generations but also for other species, including
elephants. After all, they arrived on the planet some 80 million years ago,
long before humans arrived here.
These dignified and regal giants of our planet have as much right to live
on earth as humans do. Just because they don’t know how to terrorize humans
using fire crackers, or other mechanical objects, it doesn’t mean they
can’t defend themselves in the wild. And although, they certainly can’t
defend themselves or their own kind in the courts, nor vote, it doesn’t
mean that they are unworthy of the safeguards they deserve. The fact is,
Asian elephant species is India’s Schedule 1 and Heritage Animal that
deserves nothing less than utter reverence and protection.
At the end of the day, the public need to understand that the demise of
these megaherbivores will have a cascading effect, not only across India,
but also around the world. Humans have created borders, but nations are
interconnected and interdependent. How quickly have we forgotten the house
arrest imposed on us by COVID that seems to have originated in China, but
global citizens paid a hefty price. Similarly, the war in Ukraine is
impacting many countries.
Similarly, every living being plays a critical role in sustaining this
magnificent web of life that we are only a small part of. But the distorted
reasoning of humans makes them believe that they can manipulate and
re-create this web in a manner that can benefit only them. Unfortunately,
it doesn’t work that way, as we’ve experienced time and again. If we
neglect to change our direction with seriousness and urgency, instead
choosing to remain on the same course, behaving in the same irresponsible
and impulsive ways, our actions will return to haunt us.
The challenges facing humans and elephants across India do not require new
innovations, but rather, they demand sheer political will and a bold
commitment to implement the existing solutions. The best available options
include immediate eviction of illegal encroachers, relocation and
rehabilitation of tribal people volunteering to do so, and re-wilding the
ancient forests, so elephants and other wild animals can flourish, and
coexist peacefully.