Why in the news?
Kerala's recent enumeration revealed that the wild
elephant population has decreased from 5706 in 2017 to 2386 in 2023,
registering a steep decline of 58% in the state.
Possible reasons attributed to the
decrease in the population:
1. Migration of the elephants to other
states due to,
a. destruction of natural habitat
b. Disruption of elephant corridors
c. Increased human activities.
2. Human-animal conflicts in the forest
fringe areas, with elephants entering human habitations in search of food,
leading to attack on the elephants.
3. Scarcity of food
a. Around 1500sq.km of the forest area
have been converted into plantations.
b. Growth of invasive species like wattle and Golden shower tree has served as a threat to Critical wildlife habitats in the regions.
What are the steps taken by the
Kerala Government?
1. A project launched to convert
plantations into natural forests.
2. To shift human settlements from
inside the forest to fringe areas.
3. Wayanad Forest Department's 100Crore
Master plan - For removal of invasive species and habitat restoration.
4. Checking of encroachment and
fragmentation of natural habitats by human interference.
5. Creating awareness among farmers
living in forest fringe areas to prevent instances of human-animal conflict and
use technological interventions.
About:
Elephants:
1. The largest land mammals on earth
with distinct massive bodies, large ears, and long trunks.
2. They use their trunks to pick up
objects, suck up water for drinking or bathing among other uses
3. Elephant tusks are its extended teeth
used to protect the elephant's trunk, lift and move objects, gather food, and
strip bark from trees and also used for defense.
1. Two genetically different African species exist:
5. Led by a matriarch, elephants are
organized into complex social structures of females and calves
6. Male elephants usually live in
isolation or in small bachelor groups.
7. A female elephant gives birth to a
calf once every four to five years with a gestation period of 22 months—the
longest of any mammal.
8. Calves are cared for by the entire
herd of related females and they stay with their maternal herd for the rest of
their lives, while males leave the herd as they reach puberty.
9. Forest elephants' social groups
differ slightly and may be comprised of only an adult female and her offspring.
10. Elephants need extensive land areas
to survive and meet their ecological needs, which include food, water, and
space. On average, an elephant can feed up to 18 hours and consume hundreds of
pounds of plant matter in a single day. As a result, as they lose habitat, they
often come into conflict with people in competition for resources.
11. Significance of elephants
○ Elephants maintain forest and savanna
ecosystems for other species and are integrally tied to rich biodiversity.
○ Ecosystem engineers -They make
pathways in dense forested habitat that allow passage for other animals.
○ An elephant footprint can also enable a micro-ecosystem that, when filled with water, can provide a home for tadpoles and other organisms.
○ Keystone species - helps maintain biodiversity of the ecosystems they inhabit.
