Now Reading: Athirappilly elephant corridors to be restored, says Kerala minister
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Athirappilly elephant corridors to be restored, says Kerala minister
Kerala Forest Minister Shibu Baby John has said traditional elephant corridors in the Athirappilly forest range will be restored to reduce conflict between people and wild elephants. He said routes used by elephants while searching for water had been blocked, worsening encounters with local communities.
More than 100 forest officials and watchers are taking part in a drive to push 18 elephants back into the forest. Separately, a Forest department rapid action team and tourists escaped an elephant near Ezhuchani bridge on Ezhattumukham Plantation road. The elephant chased the department vehicle for nearly 200 metres before it crashed into a culvert while reversing. The animal then moved away. The Minister made the announcement after inaugurating renovated facilities at the Athirappilly tourism centre on August 19.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Elephant corridors work only when land use, tourism access and settlement activity are managed across the animals’ movement routes. In Kerala, the Forest department must balance habitat protection with the rights and safety of communities living beside protected forests. Restoration can involve removing obstructions, securing land and restricting risky human access, rather than simply opening a passage. The immediate test will be whether conflict falls after the routes are identified and protected, and whether the department publishes a timetable for that work.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
