Forest Department deploys additional night patrol staff to drive out wild elephants entering villages in Coimbatore

Forest Dept. increases staff for night patrols in Coimbatore to drive out crop-raiding elephants. 27 staff walk along railway tracks to prevent elephants from getting hit by trains. Drones used to locate herds camping in villages.

The Forest Department has increased the number of staff engaged in night patrols in the wake of rise in frequency of wild elephants entering villages bordering forests in Coimbatore district.

According to the Department, villages falling under the four forest ranges — Coimbatore, Boluvampatty, Madukkarai and Periyanaickenpalayam— were witnessing more incidents of elephants entering human habitations.

District Forest Officer N. Jayaraj said that additional staff were being sent to Boundary Night Patrol Teams (BNPT), specialised units dedicated to minimise negative interactions between humans and elephants, to drive out crop-raiding elephants.

In addition, staff working in the remaining three forest ranges were also sent to these four ranges to minimise damages to crops and properties.

When a herd of elephants camped at Kuppanur village last week, staff from Boluvampatty and Madukkarai ranges jointly drove them back into the forest, Mr. Jayaraj said.

To tackle elephant movement in villages in the Periyanaickenpalayam range, staff from Mettupalayam and Karamadai were deputed.

The DFO said that the recent crop damages were caused by multiple herds that entered different villages more or less at the same time. Hence, it was difficult for the BNPTs to reach all the locations when elephants were engaged in crop raiding.