Crop Damage by Asian Elephants Elephas maximus and Effectiveness of Mitigating Measures in Coimbatore Forest Division, South India

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Crop Damage by Asian Elephants Elephas maximus and Effectiveness of Mitigating Measures in Coimbatore Forest Division, South India

Author Affiliations

¹Department of Botany, A.V.C. College, Mannampandal, Tamil Nadu– 609 305, INDIA
²Department of Zoology and Wildlife Biology, Government Arts College, Udhagamandalam, Tamil Nadu, INDIA

Int. Res. J. Biological Sci., Volume 3, Issue (8), Pages 1-11, August,10 (2014)

Abstract

A short term study on crop damage by elephants and effectiveness of mitigating measures was carried out from November 2008-April 2009 in Coimbatore Forest Division, Tamilnadu, South India. Totally 438 persons were interviewed from the forest fringe villages of six forest ranges of the Coimbatore Forest Division. This study revealed that 32 Grama Panchayaths were affected by elephant crop raids. Total frequency of elephant’s attempt to raid the crop fields (n=438) were recorded as 2124. Crop raiding attempts and success was highest in Odanthurai panchayath. Lowest attempts were recorded in Madukarai panchayath. Totally 31 crop species were recorded during the study period, of which 24 species were raided by elephants at various intensities. Banana (Musa paradisia) (139.49 acres), Sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) (122.35 acres), Areca nut (Areca catechu) (18993 trees), Coconut (Cocus nucifera) (4701 trees) were the most raided crops by elephants. Crops such as Marigold (Tagetus erecta), Sappota (Pouteria sapota) Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), Millet (Panicum sp.), Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) and Brinjal (Solanum melongeana L.) were not raided by elephants. Totally eight different mitigating measures were used by the local people to prevent the elephants. Among the methods elephant proof trench only found to be the most successful mitigating measure. This present study revealed that family herds were highly responsible for crop damage (66 – 75 %) than solitary males (25 – 34 %).

References

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Ramakrishnan B., Status of wildlife Corridors and their use by selected endangered mammals in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India, Ph.D thesis submitted to Bharathidhasan, University, Tamilnadu (2008)
Sivaganesan N. and Ramakrishnan B., An ecological assessment on the development of Sachidhanandha Jothi Niketan School adjoining the Kallar-Jacanari corridor in Coimbatore forest division, Nilgiris, Wildlife corridor project technical report submitted to the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore (1997)
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Balasubramaniyan M., Baskaran N., Swaminathan S., and Desai A.A., Crop raiding by Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, South India, In proceedings of the international seminar on the conservation of asian elephants, eds. Daniel J. C. & Datye H. S., Bombay Natural History Society, 350-367 (1995)
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Sukumar R., Ecology of the asian elephants in Southern India. II, Feeding habits and crop raiding patterns, J.Tropical Ecology, 6, 33-53 (1990)
Sivaganesan N., Ajithkumar., and Ramakrishnan B., Status of the corridors and their use by mammals with special reference to selected endangered mammals in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Southern India, Technical Report,Salim Ali Centre for Orinithology and Natural History,Coimbatore (2000)
Singh A.P. and Chalisgaonkar R., Restoration of corridors to facilitate the movement of the wild asian elephants in Rajaji-Corbett elephant range, India, Roorkee India, May 2006, 4 (2006)
Bist S.S., Man-elephant conflict: Causes and control measures, Zoos Print, 11, 43-46 (1996)
Kumar S.R. and Desai A.A., Elephant translocation in Tamil Nadu, using the drive method, In, The Asian Elephant, Ecology, Biology, Diseases and Management, Proceedings of the National Symposium on Asian elephants, eds. Silas E.G., Krishna Nair M., and Nirmalan G., Kerala Agriculture University, Trichur (1992)
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Sukumar R., Male-female differences in foraging on crops by asian elephants, Anim. Behav. 36, 1233-1235 (1988)
Veeramani A. and Jayson E.A., A survey of crop damage by wild animals in Kerala, Indian Forester 22, 949-953(1995)
Veeramani A., Jayson E.A., and Easa P.S., Man-Wildlife Conflict: Cattle lifting and human casualties in Kerala, Indian Forester, 122, 897-902 (1996)
Gopinathan V., Crop damage by elephants in Wayanad, In Proceedings of the Elephant Symposium, Kerala Forest Department (Wildlife Wing), Thiruvananthapuram (1990a)
Datye H.S. and A.M. Bhagwat., Estimation of crop damage and the economic losses caused by elephants and its implications in the management of the elephants, A Week with Elephants, Proceedings of the international seminar on asian elephants, Bombay Natural History Society, 375-389(1993)
Mishra J., An assessment of annual damage of crop by elephants in Palamavu Dist, Bihar, J. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., 68(2), 307-310 (1971)
Rameshkumar S. and Sathyanarayana M.C., Crop raiding patterns in Hosur and Dharmapuri Forest Divisions, Dharmapuri District, Tamil Nadu, A week with elephants,Proceedings of the international seminar on asian elephants,Bombay Natural History Society, 533-534 (1995)
Balakrishnan M. and Ndhlovu D.E., Wildlife utilization and local people. A case study in Upper Lupande game management area, Zambia Environmental Conservation,19, 135-144 (1992)
Ramakrishnan B., Sivaganesan N., and Srivastava R.K., Human interference and its impact on the elephant corridors in Sathyamangalam and Coimbatore forest divisions, Tamil Nadu, Southern India, Indian Journal of Forestry, 20(1), 8-19 (1997)
Joel M., Edward A., Doreen R., and Biryahwaho B.,Management of conservation based conflicts in South Western Uganda, (2005)
Jayson E.A., Studies on crop damage by wild animals in kerala and evaluation of control measures, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Research Report, 169 (1999)
Manoj K., Bhattacharyya R. and Padhy P.K., Forest and Wildlife Scenarios of Northern West Bengal, India: A Review, Int. Res. J. Biological Sci., 2(7), 70-79 (2013)

[ref1] Ramakrishnan B. and Saravanamuthu R., Elephant – the key stone species, Published by Tamilnadu State Council for Science and Technology and Indo American Wildlife Society, Chennai, (2010)

[ref2] Ramakrishnan B., Status of wildlife Corridors and their use by selected endangered mammals in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India, Ph.D thesis submitted to Bharathidhasan, University, Tamilnadu (2008)

[ref3] Sivaganesan N. and Ramakrishnan B., An ecological assessment on the development of Sachidhanandha Jothi Niketan School adjoining the Kallar-Jacanari corridor in Coimbatore forest division, Nilgiris, Wildlife corridor project technical report submitted to the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore (1997)

[ref4] Sukumar R., Ecology of the asian elephants Elephas maximus and its interaction with man in South India, Ph.DThesis, In India (1985)

[ref5] Balasubramaniyan M., Baskaran N., Swaminathan S., and Desai A.A., Crop raiding by Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, South India, In proceedings of the international seminar on the conservation of asian elephants, eds. Daniel J. C. & Datye H. S., Bombay Natural History Society, 350-367 (1995)

[ref6] Sukumar R., The asian elephant, Ecology and Management, Cambridge University Press, UK. (1989)

[ref7] Sukumar R., Ecology of the asian elephants in Southern India. II, Feeding habits and crop raiding patterns, J.Tropical Ecology, 6, 33-53 (1990)

[ref8] Sivaganesan N., Ajithkumar., and Ramakrishnan B., Status of the corridors and their use by mammals with special reference to selected endangered mammals in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Southern India, Technical Report,Salim Ali Centre for Orinithology and Natural History,Coimbatore (2000)

[ref9] Singh A.P. and Chalisgaonkar R., Restoration of corridors to facilitate the movement of the wild asian elephants in Rajaji-Corbett elephant range, India, Roorkee India, May 2006, 4 (2006)

[ref10] Bist S.S., Man-elephant conflict: Causes and control measures, Zoos Print, 11, 43-46 (1996)

[ref11] Kumar S.R. and Desai A.A., Elephant translocation in Tamil Nadu, using the drive method, In, The Asian Elephant, Ecology, Biology, Diseases and Management, Proceedings of the National Symposium on Asian elephants, eds. Silas E.G., Krishna Nair M., and Nirmalan G., Kerala Agriculture University, Trichur (1992)

[ref12] Sale J.B., An elephant conservation plan for Sabah, Report prepared for the Government of Sabah under UNDP Project, Sabah environmental management plan, Wildlife department, Kota Kinabalu (1997)

[ref13] Santiapillai C., Mitigation of human-elephant conflicts in Sri Lanka, Gaja, 15, 1-7 (1996)

[ref14] Seidensticker J., Managing elephant depredation in agricultural and forestry projects, A world bank technical paper. ISSN 0253-7494. The World Bank, Washington D.C., USA (1984)

[ref15] Sukumar R., Male-female differences in foraging on crops by asian elephants, Anim. Behav. 36, 1233-1235 (1988)

[ref16] Veeramani A. and Jayson E.A., A survey of crop damage by wild animals in Kerala, Indian Forester 22, 949-953(1995)

[ref17] Veeramani A., Jayson E.A., and Easa P.S., Man-Wildlife Conflict: Cattle lifting and human casualties in Kerala, Indian Forester, 122, 897-902 (1996)

[ref18] Gopinathan V., Crop damage by elephants in Wayanad, In Proceedings of the Elephant Symposium, Kerala Forest Department (Wildlife Wing), Thiruvananthapuram (1990a)

[ref19] Datye H.S. and A.M. Bhagwat., Estimation of crop damage and the economic losses caused by elephants and its implications in the management of the elephants, A Week with Elephants, Proceedings of the international seminar on asian elephants, Bombay Natural History Society, 375-389(1993)

[ref20] Mishra J., An assessment of annual damage of crop by elephants in Palamavu Dist, Bihar, J. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., 68(2), 307-310 (1971)

[ref21] Rameshkumar S. and Sathyanarayana M.C., Crop raiding patterns in Hosur and Dharmapuri Forest Divisions, Dharmapuri District, Tamil Nadu, A week with elephants,Proceedings of the international seminar on asian elephants,Bombay Natural History Society, 533-534 (1995)

[ref22] Balakrishnan M. and Ndhlovu D.E., Wildlife utilization and local people. A case study in Upper Lupande game management area, Zambia Environmental Conservation,19, 135-144 (1992)

[ref23] Ramakrishnan B., Sivaganesan N., and Srivastava R.K., Human interference and its impact on the elephant corridors in Sathyamangalam and Coimbatore forest divisions, Tamil Nadu, Southern India, Indian Journal of Forestry, 20(1), 8-19 (1997)

[ref24] Joel M., Edward A., Doreen R., and Biryahwaho B.,Management of conservation based conflicts in South Western Uganda, (2005)

[ref25] Jayson E.A., Studies on crop damage by wild animals in kerala and evaluation of control measures, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Research Report, 169 (1999)

[ref26] Manoj K., Bhattacharyya R. and Padhy P.K., Forest and Wildlife Scenarios of Northern West Bengal, India: A Review, Int. Res. J. Biological Sci., 2(7), 70-79 (2013)