Activists on Odisha’s request for ‘kumkis’ & ‘mahouts’ from Tamil Nadu

Wildlife activists and specialists have hailed the Odisha authorities’s resolution to deploy kumkis (domesticated, skilled elephants) from Tamil Nadu to minimise the rising human-elephant battle within the state. On the identical time they’ve additionally urged the federal government to enhance elephant habitats in order to minimize the battle.

“The deployment of kumkis is a welcome step. However it will possibly’t mitigate the rising battle within the state,” mentioned Biswajit Mohanty, former member of the Nationwide Board for Wildlife.

He added that unrestricted quarrying and mining in Odisha’s elephant habitats have been a number of the main causes of battle between the animals and people.

“Take for example, the Hindol space in Dhenkanal and Mayurbhanj districts. We’ve written a lot of letters to cease unrestricted quarrying there in order that battle between people and elephants, which has elevated manifold, could be minimised,” mentioned Mohanty.

Equally, elephant corridors haven’t been notified until date in Odisha, regardless of activists having requested for it for the final 10 years, he famous.

Jitshatru Mohanty, trustee of non-profit Save the Elephant, advised this reporter that the deployment of the kumkis in conflict-prone areas was a ‘short-term measure’.

“This methodology has been profitable in some southern states like Tamil Nadu. Within the long-term, although, habitat enchancment is urgently wanted to resolve conflicts,” mentioned Mohanty, a retired senior forest officer.

The Odisha authorities on January 22, 2024 wrote to the Tamil Nadu authorities, in search of 4 kumkis to be deployed in Odisha’s areas vulnerable to human-elephant battle.

“Kumkis could be deployed strategically to assist us to handle and drive wild elephants, thereby decreasing harm to crops, human habitations and the potential lack of each human and elephant lives. These elephants can be deployed for forest patrolling and rescue operations,” mentioned Satyabrata Sahu, further chief secretary of Odisha in a letter to Supriya Sahu, further chief secretary, setting, local weather change and forests division of Tamil Nadu.

“These elephants will function a useful asset to our state’s wildlife organisation, including to our effort to minimise conflicts and safeguard each human and wildlife pursuits,” he mentioned.

Satyabrata Sahu additionally requested mahouts (elephant keeper) from the Tamil Nadu authorities in an effort to handle the kumkis. These mahouts would supply preliminary handholding to Odisha’s native mahouts and get them acquainted with the kumkis.

“In gentle of the urgency and magnitude of human-elephant battle in Odisha, I’d request your immediate consideration of this proposal. Your help will considerably contribute to our ongoing conservation effort and show instrumental in mitigating the wildlife conflicts in Odisha,” the letter learn.

The state authorities’s resolution to deploy kumkis assumed significance as Odisha was one of many states affected by human-elephant battle final yr, mentioned specialists.

As many as 794 elephants died in Odisha on account of numerous causes from 2013-14 to 2022-23, a authorities report mentioned. In 2022-23, as many as 92 pachyderms died within the state, the sources mentioned.

Throughout the identical interval, 994 folks have been killed and 660 sustained accidents on account of elephant assaults, they added. The best toll of such victims was 148, recorded in 2022-23.

Equally, crops standing over 33,822 acres had been broken by elephants within the state through the decade that resulted in 2022-23, in line with the report.