Elephants Migration: Seeking Greener Pastures Or Growing In Numbers?

Ooty: Studies on elephants are always intriguing and exciting as the movement or migration of jumbos always would throw new light to plan for conservation.

Dr. B. Ramakrishnan, head of the Department of Wildlife Biology at Government Arts College in Ooty, said he, along with Dr. G. Sivasubramanian, head of the Department of Wildlife Biology at the Kongunadu Arts and Science College in Coimbatore, took up studies on the range extension or dispersal of elephants into new areas in the recent decade.

Ramakrishnan added that in recent years, range extension or dispersal of elephants into new areas where elephant movements were not reported for more than two centuries are becoming more common in southern India.

Wild jumbos from Hosur and Bannerghatta dispersing into Andhra Pradesh and elephants from north Canara, stretching along the southwestern coast, dispersing into Maharashtra and Goa, are examples.

Range extension is also an indication of either lack of resource in their traditional natural habitat or growing elephant population. In either case, management must take into account the presence of elephants in the new areas and ways and means to manage them effectively without much conflict with people, he stated.

British era records showed the movement of wild elephants in Kannivadi forest range (present Oddanchatram range in Dindigul forest division) in 1812, which authenticated the presence of elephants in the area in the early 1800s.

However, it is mystical that there was no record of elephant movement in the Oddanchatram range after 1812. Interestingly, between February and July 2016, we found a total of 18 wild jumbos in different age groups in the foothills of Oddanchatram forest range, he said.

Although the foothills of Oddanchatram jungles have a natural forest suitable for elephants, the presence / movement of elephants in the area was not reported until 2006. Since 2006 elephant movement into Oddanchatram forest range was likely from Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Coimbatore and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, bordering ATR, he explained.

The elephants crossed Palani-Kodaikanal road and reached Thekkanthottam, Annanagar and Varathamanadhi reservoir, he said.

He points out that this instance of range extension of wild jumbos is also an indication of either lack of resource in their traditional natural habitat or population increase.

In either case, management must take into account the presence of elephants in the new areas and ways and means to manage them effectively without much problem to people as well as animals. They are either re-establishing their traditional range or extending the range into new areas after two centuries, Ramakrishnan noted.