6 months ago
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The Tenkasi District Forest Division has swung into enactment to code the increasing human-elephant struggle successful its jurisdiction.
The strategy focuses connected sustainable wood management, situation restoration, and assemblage engagement to beforehand harmonious coexistence betwixt humans and the wildlife. The cardinal activities taken up by the section see autochthonal effect collection, large-scale reforestation, and the planting of indigenous elephant-preferred nutrient sources.
Known for its affluent biodiversity, Tenkasi territory has been witnessing accrued instances of human-elephant struggle successful the caller past whenever the jumbos travel retired of the wood successful hunt of nutrient and water. The Tenkasi Forest Division, too creating waterholes astatine vantage points wrong the wood to quench the wildlife’s thirst, has responded to this situation by adopting sustainable and technological initiatives aimed astatine restoring earthy elephant habitats and reducing their reliance connected quality settlements for food.
As portion of this multi-pronged strategy, Tenkasi Forest Division, supported by the Forest Genetic Division Research Wing, has taken respective initiatives. The Forest Genetic Division Research Wing collected 50 kg of autochthonal effect grasses, liked by the elephants, for afforestation and situation restoration, ensuring the planted taxon are earthy to the section ecosystem.
Additionally, 3,500 teak trees person been planted successful the exotic lantana removal country wrong the Puliyangudi Range that witnesses much elephant penetration into the ranches connected wood boundary.
Moreover, autochthonal endemic chaotic seeded banana planting has been initiated utilizing seeds specifically identified by the Forest Genetics Division. The Tenkasi wood part has collected these saplings from Coimbatore and reintroduced them successful the chaotic arsenic this nutrient is overmuch preferred by the elephants.
“These broad initiatives are projected to output the pursuing cardinal outcomes similar reduced human-elephant struggle by minimising elephant forays into quality settlements. Enhanced biodiversity and ecosystem services done the removal of invasive taxon and planting of autochthonal flora volition beryllium ensured. This inaugural guarantees the conservation of endangered taxon by strengthening their halfway habitats. Above all, it encourages promotion of sustainable livelihoods for section communities done collaborative conservation efforts,” District Forest Officer of Tenkasi R. Rajmohan told The Hindu.
The farmers who person fields adjacent the reserve wood fringes and the conservationists arsenic good are blessed with this initiative. “The Tenkasi Forest Division’s attack to struggle mitigation, which prioritises science-backed situation restoration and progressive assemblage engagement serves arsenic a commendable exemplary for conservation. This multi-faceted strategy is indispensable for achieving semipermanent harmonious coexistence betwixt humans and wildlife,” conservationist Albert Rajendran, formerly Professor of Zoology, St. John’s College, Palayamkottai.
