Elephant dung to keep leopards at bay in Uttar Pradesh

 BAHRAICH: The Uttar Pradesh Forest department is employing a unique strategy to stop leopard attacks by using elephant dung.

District forest officer Akashdeep Badhawan said that animal excreta play a dual role in the wild, serving as both a territorial marker and a deterrent to potential intruders.

"Animals often spray urine and defecate to delineate their territory, and the strong odour of their waste not only warns others of their presence but also conveys a sense of power," Badhawan stated.

He added that the pungent odour of elephant dung is particularly unpleasant for leopards and can be effective in keeping them away.

This strategy has been successfully used in other parts of India, and the forest department plans to initially implement it in the worst affected Shivpur block, which encompasses 12 villages and has witnessed recent leopard attacks on children.

"In view of the leopard terror, we have started this initiative in two villages for now. Elephant dung cakes are being distributed to the villagers, who will burn them. Leopards are allergic to the foul smell emanating from burning elephant dung cakes. Due to this, they will run away from the village. It also helps in killing mosquitoes," he explained.

The recent leopard attacks have caused widespread fear and anxiety among the villagers. On November 17, a 37-year-old woman named Kunti Devi was mauled to death by a leopard while working in the fields, bringing the death toll to four in the past one month.

In addition to the elephant dung initiative, the forest department is also taking other measures to protect the villagers from leopard attacks, including increasing patrols in affected areas, installing camera traps to monitor leopard activity, educating villagers about leopard behaviour and how to avoid encounters.

"Initial implementation of this approach is a positive step," said wildlife expert A N Singh.

"However, leopards are highly adaptable creatures, and they may eventually learn to tolerate or even ignore the odour of elephant dung. Therefore, it is crucial to continuously assess the effectiveness of this strategy and consider alternative methods if necessary," he added. (IANS)

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