Karnataka has gone the extra mile in mitigating human-wildlife conflict, especially between elephants and wolves, by ensuring that it combines technology-based monitoring and action coordination and response mechanisms, said Minister Eshwar Khandre on Friday. During his visit to Pilikula Nisargadhama to conduct the Hakki Habba programme, Khandre pointed out that the state government would see to it that both human beings and wildlife are safe in areas that are most likely to have such confrontations.
Preventing a clash between humans and wild animals should be the priority. Where the presence of animals is detected around the habits, we have elaborate strategies in order to secure the safety of both the people and the wildlife, the state forest minister said. He pointed out that the forest administration at Karnataka is one of the most active in managing wildlife related issues in the country and this forms an exemplary way through which other states should emulate.
In a response to the frequent elephant movements in some sections of coastal and interior Karnataka Khandre reported that the state has institutionalized an elephant task force and reinforced response mechanisms in the field. There is a command centre in Bengaluru that manages distress calls, response, and supervision operations in the affected areas. The sightings or distress calls can be reported by citizens using a special helpline meaning that prompt action is taken.
Upon reception of information, one of the range forest officers, divisional forest officers and assistant conservators of forests are routed. Then, the teams are deployed to the scene to evaluate the situation and take mitigation action. Before taking some action, the officials analyse behaviour and movement of elephants and decide whether they are alone or belong to a herd. Some of the measures may be returning of the elephants to the forest corridors or sending trained individuals to control the situation.
Khandre also said that the forest department is taking advantage of technology whereby it is using GPS tracking and monitoring to monitor wildlife movement in real time.
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