JOIN USValparai way of living with elephants
In the south of India, a picturesque hill station has a success story of human-elephant relations. There have been zero incidents of human loss from elephant interactions reported in over a year from June 2021 to June 2022, in Tamil Nadu’s Valparai-Pollachi area.
This was not always the case. In Pollachi, 49 people lost lives, and 82 were injured over the past ten years. In Valparai, an average of three people lost lives to elephant interactions every year, which reduced to one death a year from 2003 to finally, a year of no loss of life.
Valparai’s success story begins with all stakeholders collectively working towards finding solutions, based on the question: What are the needs and motivations of the elephants in the area?
The past and the present
Over 100 years ago, the British converted the Valparai rainforests to tea and coffee plantations, encouraging people to settle in the hill station. The locals have been sharing space with diverse species of wildlife since then. The memory of the drastic change to the landscape and clearing of forests is relatively old to humans but remains fresh in elephants' memories," observes Ananda Kumar, a senior scientist with Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) working in the area.
According to the 2011 census, Valparai was home to close to 70,859 people. The landscape is primarily covered with tea estates. Over a decade ago, plantation owners approached NCF seeking solutions to growing elephant interactions in the area. As a result, several mitigation measures are currently in action.
The early warning system, named The Valparai Elephant Information Network (EIN), shared alerts initially on a local TV channel but now does it through SMS and display boards. It sends messages to estate managers and locals about elephant movements.
"We’ve been studying elephant movements and behaviour in the area for over 10 years. Inputs from locals have been critical. There is no fear of the unknown. Not being able to get out in the evening impacted locals’ interpersonal relationships too, many even having to miss marriages and other important gatherings. This has changed. Also, the forest department’s response time to SOS calls and early warning mitigations has been phenomenal," explains Kumar.
When MG Ganesan took up his role as the Deputy Field Director of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve in 2021, he started working on several initiatives. "The early warning system worked efficiently, but we wanted to cover the forest openings through which elephants ventured out. Our team monitors such parts day and night. We have sensor-based light systems in areas with intense interactions. When elephant movement is sensed, the light changes colour, surprising the animal, forcing it to retreat," explains Ganesan.
Since elephants get no fodder in tea estates, they are attracted to ration shops stacked with rice. Most of the time, elephants consume a few rice bags. Sometimes the locals exaggerate the numbers, says Ganesan. “We have instructed all ration shop owners to sell all stocks quickly and maintain apt records of sale and storage." This helps them keep track of what exactly is happening.
Plantation owners cannot store fertilisers in the open on their estates, as it has led to elephant poisoning in the past. A bio-repellent with a strong citrus flavour is sprayed around human habitations, which has been found to deter elephants. “We found them avoiding the area for good. But elephants are great adapters, and we would like to observe their reaction this year,” says Ganeshan.
He believes timely support to forest staff, including daily-wage patrol teams, has played a vital role. Besides a fixed monthly payment, the forest staff receive Rs 2,500 for field ration, are equipped with high-quality gear and are insured for nearly Rs 20 lakh per person.
People and the elephants
The locals have accepted living alongside elephants as part of their lives. Says Saraswathi, a labourer living in the area since 1991: “One of my daughters and her two children, including a few months old baby, are staying with me. When elephants visit our neighbourhood, we are scared. But we understand that we are fine if we keep out of their way,” says Saraswathi, acknowledging the benefits of the elephant movement updates she receives.
The NCF and plantation owners have been organising awareness programmes, workshops and plays for plantation staff. "Many plantation workers are migrants unfamiliar with the elephant interactions in the area. These workshops and plays help them understand and respond to situations better," says Lingesh Kalingarayar, owner of a holiday destination.
Activities such as treks and walks are decided upon by real-time information on elephant movements. Since January 2022, the department has also introduced fines on tourists discarding garbage, especially food packets, in public places.
Attention to detail, teamwork
With the beginning of the migration season (August–April), hundreds of elephants are expected in Valparai. But, the swamp lands which form critical elephant corridors and offer fodder have been degraded by the invasive species, Ludwigia peruviana. “We cleared a few swamps last year and plan to rid the invasive species in over 35 swamp lands this year. We are awaiting funds from the Centre and state governments,” says Ganesan.
NCF has been collaborating with stakeholders and local departments in mitigation efforts. For example, the area’s children studying in classes 9 and 10 go for tuition after school hours. They reach the bus stop by 8.30 pm when elephant movements are high.
“Children don’t carry mobile phones. Informing them of elephant movements becomes challenging. We are asking the transport department to introduce automated voice assistance. Real-time movements of elephants will be announced in the buses. This project will be launched next year,” says Kumar.
The collaborative effort — long-term and on an everyday basis — is the key to this success. This inter-dependence has enabled a smooth working system on the ground and at times of crisis. “We are constantly sharing information. This has ensured we all — both humans and elephants — calmly go about our business on any given day,” Lingesh adds.
There are no problem elephants, only problem locations, says Kumar. “Expecting elephants to react positively to a mitigation measure is unfair. It’s only reasonable to understand the needs of humans and animals equally.”