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The Forest Department has proposed to dig elephant trenches for about eight km and install solar electric fences for 20 km to check wild animal invasion into farmlands close to reserve forest areas. According to District Forest Officer Rajmohan, the department has proposed to dig trenches for eight km and erect solar electric fence for about 20 km along the forest boundary to prevent invasion of wild elephants and other animals into the farmlands, where they caused extensive damage to paddy, sugarcane and other crops and coconut trees. Even as a team of experts, led by veterinarian Kalaivanan, was studying the reasons for the elephants entering the farmlands in search of food and water, the department had started installing trap cameras along the paths frequented by the pachyderms. “Moreover, we have submitted proposals seeking allocation of ₹10 crore for installing AI-powered cameras so that rapid response teams can receive real-time photos from them and take immediate action to avoid incidences of man-animal conflict,” Dr. Rajmohan said. He also informed that the department had fabricated specialised cages for catching wild boars entering the fields close to the reserve forest boundary, and those wild boars entering the fields located three km away from the reserve forests and sanctuaries would be hunted down as per the decision taken by the government, he added. Assistant Conservator of Forest Nellai Nayagam said the Forest Department personnel would never shoot down the wild boars straightaway. “The controlled hulling of the wild boars entering far away farms will be the last resort after our attempts to cage them fail,” he said.
