THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 'crash guard rope fencing' against elephant intrusion put up at a stretch of 1,200 metres by the Idukki Mankulam forest division has been a success. The unique project had the approval of the Palakkad IIT and Dr. P. S. Easa, elephant expert and former head of Kerala Forest Research Institute. The forest department has sanctioned Rs 50 lakh to set up similar fencing at the remaining stretch of 1.2 km. The earlier proposal of laying trenches, solar fencing and abandoned railway tracks had turned out to be ineffective and too costly.
Currently there are 98 Asian elephants in the Mankulam forest division where they come to drink water from the Anakulam river. When the elephants started encroaching into human habitation, local DFO B. N. Nagaraj planned the 'crash guard rope fencing'. "Environmentalists raised a hue and cry over it without actually visiting the site. But ever since it was implemented, elephants drink water and move away. Sambar deer population has sniffed the fencing which was been caught on the six CCTV cameras installed," said Nagaraj.
A heard of deer spotted near the fence
The Elephant Rehabilitation Centre near Kappukadu in Thiruvananthapuram and at Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary have approached Nagaraj for replicating the fencing there. In Wayanad area, man-animal conflict had hit dangerous levels. He will give a project report and estimate before the second stretch of the work is completed at the Mankulam forest division.
