Bengaluru: As many as 65 wild elephants were killed and 15 people were done to death by wild jumbos in 2015-16 in Karnataka. Of the 65 pachyderms which died in 12 months, 14 died under unnatural circumstances and 51 had a natural death.
While deaths due to natural causes are on the decline in the last five years, unnatural deaths due to poaching and electrocution have remained the same, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr Dilip Kumar Das told Deccan Chronicle.
He said Karnataka is among many states which have a large population of elephants. Dismantling of the elephant corridor, human habitats coming up on the fringes of forests and illegal cultivation on forest land have resulted in man-elephant conflicts in Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Tumakuru, Mandya and Hassan districts.
Compared to previous years, elephants dying in natural circumstances have come down but deaths due to unnatural causes have always been a cause of worry. In 2012-13, the state recorded 189 deaths due to severe scarcity of water owing to failure of the monsoon.
In fact, many jumbos died after consuming contaminated water in Bandipur and Nagarhole National Parks which prompted the forest department to build artificial ponds inside the reserve forests and fill up the dried water bodies to ensure water for wild animals.
Mr Das pointed out that one of the main reasons making elephants raid villages is the cultivation of crops like banana and paddy in the fringes of forests which naturally attract pachyderms.
Villagers, in order to protect their crops, draw power connections from the main line and connect it to the fence resulting in electrocution of intruders. Such cases have been reported in large number especially in Chamarajanagar district.
People are doing this despite a promise by the department to compensate for lost crops. For many centuries, the elephants were moving in a particular track without invading villages.
However, fragmentation of the dedicated path (elephant corridor) has made jumbos go astray.
The officer said 17 persons have died in elephant attacks in 2013-14, 11 in 2014-15 and 15 in 2015-16. Each family has been given a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each. Besides, injured persons were given relief for medical treatment.
