Rourkela: The forest department finally seems to have come up with a reason behind the violent behavior of elephants in Sundargarh and Angul districts.
According to department sources, one of the major causes of aggression among the jumbos is lack of mating. Destruction of elephant corridor from Khandhar forest to Angul via Lathikata has deprived the jumbos of this opportunity, it was learnt.
A study suggests that there is a steep rise in the population of female elephants in Khandadhar forest in comparison to tuskers. On the other hand, many tuskers have been stuck in forests of Angul district.
Experts, who study the behavior of the pachyderms, said these animals form a herd for mating purpose. One tusker is left with 10 female elephants to start his family. This maintains the proper ratio of male and female elephants in a forest. However, the balance has been disturbed over the last two decades, the experts said.
The department identified the blockade of elephant corridor at various places as the main reason behind the disproportion.
The female elephants of Khandadhar travel up to Angul through Lathikata for mating. Similarly, the tuskers come down to Khandadhar forest for company. But the development of human habitations on the corridor has affected the movement of the jumbos.
At present, there are 100 female elephants against only five to six tuskers in Khandadhar forest. The case is not different in Angul corridor. Here the number of tuskers is 20 against 60 to 70 female elephants.
Though the female and male elephants in Angul and Khandadhar want to move to each other’s place, they fail due to blockade of corridor at many locations. Therefore, the elephants, especially the females, become violent and attack people when they fail to get the company of males, it was learnt.
Sources in forest department further revealed that in the absence of required number of tuskers in Sundargarh forest from other regions, the elephants here are involved in incestuous relationship. This causes genetic disorder in the elephants and leads to their premature deaths.
Wildlife expert Sangram Parida said a radio collar, having high frequency transponder controlled by microchip readers, should be tied to the necks of elephants to identify the herd and prevent such incidents.
Such collars have been attached to the bodies of elephants living in some forests of Assam and Karnataka by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).
The forest officials in these two states have managed to keep track of the movement of the elephants and get information about the tuskers and their herds. This apart, the collars would make the job of the department easier in gauging the threat to lives of elephants, Parida said.
Use of such collars is common in forests of Africa, forest officials said.
Parida, on curbing the violent behavior of the pachyderms, said the government should ensure their free movement between Khandadhar and Angul forests. The aggression in elephants would reduce significantly if they get opportunity to mate, he pointed out. PNN
