Pulling up the State Forest Department for lack of “adequate protection measures in the Edamalayar forest range” where poachers gunned down five elephants, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has sought an explanation from the department on the incidents.

The Ministry has written to Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Chief Wildlife Warden seeking a “factual report after obtaining an explanation from the Field Coordinator of Anamudi Elephant Reserve” to which the Edamalayar forests belong to. The State Forest Department has also been asked to explain the steps taken for the protection of elephants in the wake of reports of poaching.

Expressing shock over the reports of poaching, the Ministry said the incidents exposed vulnerability of elephants in the territorial forest of Edamalayar due to the lack of adequate protection measures in forest. The killing of elephants for tusks calls for action. The selective killing of elephants in areas outside the Protected Areas, if not checked, would lead to a highly skewed adult sex ratio in an exponential rate. This would also affect the elephant ecology of the region, the letter cautioned.

Incidentally, Kerala has four elephant reserves — Wayanad, Nilambur, Anamudi, and Periyar. The wild elephant population of the State, according to the website of the State Forest Department is 7,384.

P.S. Easa, a member of the National Board for Wildlife, said the shocking incidents of elephant poaching underlined the fact that the territorial forest of the State was more vulnerable to poaching. While ensuring landscape-level protection measures, the authorities should look into the high rate of attrition among the field staff of Forest Department.

While recruiting the staff, those with the right aptitude should be picked up and tribal people and local community members should be considered for the posts. They should be provided adequate facilities and remunerated, Dr. Easa said. He said that protection measures should get priority in territorial forest divisions. The working plans of these divisions should incorporate and implement protection measures, he said.