November 25, 2009 18:12 PM

Elephants Paths In Kerala To Be Restored In Forests

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- The Kerala Forest Department is working on a plan to restore the traditional elephant corridors in the state's forests, to ensure free passage of the jumbos, especially during the summer season when they move in herds in search of water and shade, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported Wednesday.

According to Indian news agency's report, many of these traditional animal passages had been either got fragmented or degraded due to human intrusions in the form of encroachment and deforestation, constricting free movement of wildlife.

Recent studies conducted by the Wildlife Department and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have shown that restoration of the forest paths was crucial in conservation of animals, especially elephants.

The cited the example of herds of elephants moving during the high summer to Kerala's Wayanad forests from the sanctuaries in Bandipore in Karnataka and Nilgiri biosphere of Tamil Nadu.

Construction of a network of roads and increase in the traffic, even during the night, posed problems to the free movement of elephants, the various studies conducted have said.

In an important order keeping this situation in mind, a few months ago the Karnataka High Court imposed a ban on night traffic along the busy Wayanad-Bangalore route.

Though migratory routes on the fringe of forests had been destroyed largely, elephants and other animals were found to use the same paths, creating problems to the people who were living close to such areas.

-- BERNAMA

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