Elephant Terror in Valparai: High Alert Declared in Tamil Nadu

Chennai (The Uttam Hindu): The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has issued a public advisory urging residents near the forest in Valparai, Coimbatore district, to avoid venturing out at night due to the increasing threat posed by wild elephants straying into human habitats. Forest officials are patrolling the area after three elephants, separated from a 17-member herd, raided human settlements in Valparai on Monday, injuring several people.

Four individuals sustained fractures to their hands and legs in the attacks and have been admitted to a government hospital. This incident follows the death of 18-year-old S. Mukesh a few months ago. Mukesh, a resident of Puthukad near Valparai, was fatally attacked by a wild elephant while travelling on a two-wheeler through an estate road on his way to the Sholayar Dam. Despite being rushed to the Valparai General Hospital, he was declared dead on arrival. The death Mukesh came just days after a tribal man, Ravi, was trampled to death by a wild elephant at the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), near Valparai.

Over the past year, there have been several incidents of wild elephants damaging property, including houses and shops, in the Valparai region. Forest officials attribute these attacks to habitat degradation caused by invasive plant species, the destruction of swamps, and land-use changes, which have led to increased human-wildlife conflict. As the annual migration season of elephants approaches its peak in the Valparai plateau, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, in collaboration with non-governmental organisations and local residents, is working to facilitate the free movement of elephants.

However, officials have warned that elephants that stray from their herds often turn aggressive, posing significant risks to human life and property. Currently, nearly 100 elephants are moving through plantation areas on the plateau, which include tea, coffee, and cardamom estates, as well as swamps, abandoned fields, eucalyptus patches, and forest fragments within estates. This number is expected to rise as migration peaks between January and February. Valparai residents and estate workers, accustomed to the annual migration of elephants from Kerala, have learned strategies to minimise negative interactions with the animals.

The migration, which begins in September, sees elephants navigating the mosaic landscape of Valparai’s estates and fragmented forests until it ends in March. Forest officials note that factors such as rainfall, availability of grass, and human behaviour influence elephant migration patterns. Manoharan, a Valparai resident, acknowledged the Forest Department’s efforts to raise awareness about reducing conflicts with wild elephants, emphasising the importance of coexistence during the migration period.