The Kasaragod Forest department’s initiatives have emerged effective in the battle against increasing man-animal conflicts near forest-fringe areas. Over the past six months, residents in panchayats such as Karedukka, Muliyar, Kuttikol, and Delampady, along the Kerala-Karnataka border, have seen fewer conflicts.
The decrease in such conflicts is largely due to various proactive measures implemented by the department, including construction of earthen check dams, installation of hanging solar fences, and planting of fruit-bearing trees.
Divisional Forest Officer K. Ashraf highlighted the issue of wild elephants crossing into five panchayats in Kasaragod from the forests of Karnataka over the past two decades. A herd of 22 elephants has been repeatedly causing problems, despite the efforts to send them back to Karnataka..
