Kerala turns to tribal wisdom to help solve human-animal conflict
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New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Man-animal strife: Seeking answers in the bountiful repository of tribal wisdom in Kerala
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Did you know that stones pelted by women don't scare away monkeys or that bears that return to a spot three-four times suggest that they are feeling threatened and are likely to attack? That one can read elephant behaviour from the manner in which it folds its trunk or sways its ears? That rotten sardines can keep animals away? Such seemingly obscure nuggets of information have long been part of tribal wisdom. Cashing in on this, a rich repository of traditional tribal wisdom is being documented in the state as part of the collaborative effort of the state forest department and the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI). The project has assumed greater importance at a time when Kerala has been witnessing an increase in human-wildlife conflict; and its widespread ramifications — both social and political — are being felt across the state. Pushed to the wall, the forest department came up with the novel initiative to tap into the traditional wisdom of forest-dwelling communities that have long lived in peaceful co-existence with wildlife. The fact that a few indigenous people also lost their lives in recent attacks has made it all the more pertinent to cash in on such indigenous knowledge that is part and parcel of tribal lives. Thus took shape Gothrabheri, one of ten missions proposed to address human-wildlife conflict in the state. Envisaged as a learning initiative, it's being undertaken by KFRI with funding from the forest department. Senior forest officer Raju Francis who coordinated the conceptualisation of Gothrabheri had, in his own words, a truly enriching experience in the course of having spent hours with hamlet chiefs in this regard.
Deccan Herald
2 days ago
- Deccan Herald
Kerala turns to tribal wisdom to help solve human-animal conflict
For the first time in India, the Kerala Forest Department has launched a programme called 'Gothrabheri', which brings together the traditional knowledge of tribal communities to help address human-animal conflict in the state.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- The Hindu
Kerala to seek sterilisation of Bonnet macaque near forests
Mass sterilisation of the Bonnet macaque, a widely seen primate species, may be undertaken in Kerala as part of measures to control its population. The Kerala Forest Department will shortly approach the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change seeking permission to carry out sterilisation of the species endemic to South India. Farmers and people living in forest fringes have complained about crop loss caused by the troops of monkeys. The animals, according to farmers, damage a wide variety of crops, including coconuts and agricultural crops. The presence of the species has been reported in almost all the eco-tourism centres of the State. The department had drawn up a 'Mission Bonnet macaque' as part of a 10-point programme to reduce instances of human-wildlife conflicts. The sterilisation programme, along with other initiatives, is part of the mission, said Pramod G. Krishnan, Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW), Kerala. After wild pigs, the Bonnet macaque is the second species for which population-control measures are being proposed. Though wild pigs are being culled, there are no plans to cull the monkeys. The proposal is to sterilise the troops in specific locations and release them back into their territories. The sterilised animals will be sheltered for some time for the healing of their wounds. The State had earlier made some isolated attempts to sterilise the monkeys, said Mr. Krishnan. The project requires the permission of the Union Ministry since the species is included in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act. The species is included in Schedule 1, considering the fall in their overall population. Besides sterilisation, the department plans to implement waste management programmes in eco-tourism centres where these animals feed on leftover food. The practice of visitors feeding the animals will be thoroughly discouraged, he said. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has included the species in the 'vulnerable' category considering its declining population. Studies indicate that the species faces serious population decline, even up to 65%, in some parts of its distribution range. Hunting, persecution, removal of native avenue trees, feeding by humans, and displacement by Rhesus macaques in the northern parts of the range are believed to have contributed to the decline. The presence of the species has been recorded in Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, according to the IUCN assessment. Incidentally, the Ministry had earlier shot down the proposal of the State government to classify wild pigs as vermin.
