Experts at work to mitigate man-elephant conflict in Tripura 

A Correspondent

Agartala: A team of elephant experts from Bengaluru is visiting Tripura to find out reasons for the frequent man-elephant conflict. Tripura has a sizeable number of wild elephants due to the presence of deep and dense forest. But of late, there is a growing trend of wild elephants deserting their herds and rampage through human habitations at the foothills of the Baramura, Devtamura, Atharmura, Longtarai Valley, Kalajhari Range of Khowai, Gomati, Dhalai, Unakoti districts, etc.

The area is suffering damage to crops and properties including human life due to the rampage by wild elephants. To prevent and visualize the actual movement of wild elephants, the expert team with senior elephant scientist, Surendra Verma, ANCF, Amlan Aditya Goswami, GIS (ANCF) Dr. BK Sharma, PCCF, Mahendra Singh, DFO and Kamal Bhaowmik, Sub-divisional Forest Officer have already visited some parts of Khowai district in Mungiakami RD block areas.

They also visited the Gomti Wildlife Sanctuary in Gomti district, said, Dr Mahendra Singh. He said 15-20 wild elephants are roaming in the forest ranges. Sometimes they use to come out to the human habitations.

The exact reasons for such abnormal attitudes of the elephants are yet to be known. The expert team is meticulously observing the possible route of movement of the wild elephants, consulting the country experts, mahouts and villagers to gauze the footprints of their movements, probable reasons for deserting the forests, etc. They had a meeting in the conference hall of Paratiya Rest House with the State’s forest officers including the mahouts, domestic elephant owners, and local followers to examine the ground reality. They have also taken note of the movement of wild elephants in the routs of Amarpur-Road, Worengbari, Kalatilla, Surungbari, Malsadhupara, Nandarkowari of Gomti district Makraibari, Devbari, Tuisama in Amarpur subdivision areas.

They are ascertaining the secured ways of preventing wild elephants from coming out from the herd. The expert team is expected to submit a proposal to the respective department for taking the next course of action.

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