Man-animal conflict: Jumbos hit

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

 Mysuru

 Elephants are the biggest casualty of man-animal conflict prevailing in some parts of the State due to shrinking forests and expanding urbanisation.

 Of the total 1935 wild animals killed in the last eight years, jumbos top the list followed by the spotted deer (348), leopard (230), sambar (200), Indian Gaur ( 102), tiger (102) and bear (67). The state government has shelled out Rs 134.95 crore in the last nine years as compensation for loss of lives and injuries to people and crop damage.

With shrinking forests, wild animals are facing a shortage of food and foliage forcing them to raid human settlements. To save the crops, some farmers illegally draw power supply to their fences which kills the jumbos. Such deaths are rampant in Kodagu, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru districts where coffee and spices were grown. People are so fed up with wild animals that they have sought permission to shoot them at sight.

 Jumbos have trampled many workers who are not ready to work in fields despite being offered double wages. Workers have fled the elephant- infested villages and returned to their native place.

The efforts by the forest department to radio collar raiding elephants have not yielded results due to the increasing number of pachyderms.

With regard to leopards, they are spotted in urban settlements stealing pet dogs and cows.

The leopard population has also increased much to the headache of the department.

Tigers too have created terror in the hill district of Kodagu and villages adjoining Nagarhole Tiger Reserve and Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

 Last week a tiger killed a person and injured another in Nanjangud taluk.

Two days ago, a cow was killed and a cow rearer was attacked by a tiger. People want such tigers to be shifted elsewhere.

As for bears, the menace has become unbearable in Koppal and Vijayanagar