The story so far: In another instance of human-wildlife conflict in Kerala, sixty-year-old Sivaraman was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Dhoni, Palakkad, while on a morning walk on July 8. Villagers blamed Forest officials for failure to issue warning about the presence of the elephant. However, widespread protests were called off after officials agreed to tranquilise the animal and intensify patrolling.
This is the latest in a series of such incidents over the years, and has put the spotlight back on Kerala’s escalating human-wildlife conflict. It is also occurring in the backdrop of heated debates and protests going on in the State regarding a June 3 directive of the Supreme Court to set up buffer zones or eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) of 1 km around wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.
