CHENNAI: Expect more elephant deaths in Tamil Nadu, warn conservationists and biologists, when asked to comment on TN’s elephant ecology in connection with World Elephant Day on August 12. “Six elephants have died in Coimbatore and The Nilgiris districts between June 20 and July 6 this year, due to train and road accidents and now an advisory has been sent to all railway zones to prevent collision of trains with elephants. This is just a repeat of procedure done whenever jumbos are killed along railway tracks and nothing has changed”, says wildlife activist K. Mohanraj of Coimbatore.
TN has registered an increase of 2501 sq. kilometre of forest cover, according to Forest Survey of India 2015 report, the maximum among all States but frequent deaths of elephants have agitated wildlife lovers, he said. “When an elephant is killed by a poacher it’ is a non bailable offence, but when a motorist or a train engine driver knocks down an elephant, the case is let aloof. At least there has to be some stringent action like suspension or hefty fines for those endangering wildlife through accidents”, opines wildlife conservationist A. Kumaraguru.
Both Tamil Nadu Assembly and Rajya Sabha had debated about alarming increase of elephant deaths in the State during this year, a forest official said. According to WWF Traffic sources, steady inroads into elephant habitat to meet the needs of an increasing human population and economic development have resulted in significant loss and fragmentation of elephant habitat along western ghats.
