Coimbatore: Even as temple and mutt elephants from across Tamil Nadu have begun to descend on the banks of Bhavani River in Coimbatore district for the annual jumbo retreat, farmers have raised apprehensions of intrusion by wild elephants into the camp that may trigger conflict in the proximate farmlands.
Since 2003 temple elephants in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were being taken to a particular place inside forest for rejuvenation. At the camp the elephants are given food supplements, medications and a get-together with other elephants that come from various parts of the state.
Initially the camp was conducted in Mudhumalai Theppakkadu camp. Later on, considering the difficulties in transporting the elephants in lorries on the hill route, an alternate place was selected in Mettupalayam near Goddess Vanabathra Kaliamman temple close to Bhavani riverbank in natural ambiance at the foothills of Western Ghats. Since 2012, the elephants’ rejuvenation camp is conducted every year in Mettupalayam.
This year, the camp begins on Thursday and ends on March 13. Last year it was a 48-day camp, while this year it has been reduced to 33 days. According to HR&CE officials, around 43 Elephants from various temples are expected to take part in the camp.
The rejuvenation camp has been kept a low-key affair this year as no political heavy weight is participating in the inaugural, given the tense political situation in Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, Mr. S.Palanisamy, president, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association-Coimbatore Chapter told DC that bringing the elephants from various places and transporting through lorries in a standing position amounted to stressing the jumbos.
When all the elephants camped at the same place, a strong smell of the trained elephants spreads into the woods attracting the wild ones towards the camp for mating. During Last year’s rejuvenation camp, a similar incident happened. This was despite several efforts of the Forest department to keep the wild elephants at bay having failed to drive them back into the forest.
The wild elephants, which had come out of the forest also started to feed on farmer’s crops damaging farms. A repeat of that is feared this year too and getting compensation from the Forest department is not easy.
