Wayanad is in a state of undeclared war as seen with the rising human-animal conflict in the district. Two recent tragic events occurred involving a wild elephant named Belur Makhna, went on a rampage, crushing a 47-year-old farmer to death. Followed by another incident where an elephant herd attacked and killed an ecotourism guide at Kuruvadweep Islands. These events have triggered protests, strikes and has led to a political slugfest in Kerala. In the ongoing cacophony, one should not miss the onus of responsibility as wildlife experts believe this is only the beginning of what is yet to follow from the Western Ghats if the ecological balance is not restored.
Statistics first
A study report titled Right of Passage: Elephant Corridors of India conducted by Wildlife Trust of India identified 88 elephant corridors in 2005. As per the report, 24% of the corridors were under reserve forest and 76% under forest, agriculture, tea gardens, and human settlements. Fast forward this data to about 20 years later would invariably show reduced corridors for wildlife. This renders the agricultural fields, tea estates, human habitations, busy highways, and ecotourism spaces as open sites for wildlife movement. This indicates the significant loss of ecological connectivity and habitat, and the resultant confinement of wildlife to fragmented forests forcing their raids to the surrounding areas.
