Forest Dept. issues SOP for handling wild elephants

Setting up early warning systems, use of Kumki elephants and empowering jagratha samitis mooted

The Forest Department has prepared a standard operating procedure (SOP) to deal with wild elephants that stray into human dominated landscapes. The document, which includes steps to be adopted at the field level while dealing with human-elephant conflicts, delineates responsibilities to be undertaken by forest officers. It places responsibility of such operations upon the Chief Conservator of Forest or Conservator of Forest of the forest circle and the Divisional Forest Officer (or Wildlife Warden) under whose jurisdiction such incidents occurred. The guidelines included the constitution of forest range-level teams that will come into action in places where such conflicts were severe. Led by the Range Forest Officer, the team will comprise seven or eight forest officers and a group of experienced watchers. Additional resources can be mobilised during severe conflicts.