Latest news with #Gothrabheri
New Indian Express
05-07-2025
- General
- 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
04-07-2025
- General
- 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
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Saseendran expresses concern over tribal deaths, calls for steps to adopt indigenous knowledge
Expressing concern over the disturbing trend of tribal fatalities in wildlife attacks, Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has assured steps to study the factors leading to the alarming pattern. He was inaugurating a State-level workshop on Gothrabheri, an initiative aimed at integrating indigenous knowledge into wildlife conflict mitigation strategies, here on Wednesday. Mr. Saseendran said while various human-wildlife conflict mitigation projects initiated by the Forest department had begun to show results, the loss of tribal lives remained a pressing issue. He pointed out that 67 people lost their lives in wildlife-related incidents during 2024-25. Of these, 34 were due to snakebites and 19 due to elephant attacks. Alarmingly, 13 of those killed by elephants belonged to tribal communities. Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod G. Krishnan pointed out that the trend was unusual since tribespeople were traditionally known to coexist harmoniously with wildlife. He emphasised the need to examine whether changes in animal or human behaviour or other external factors were contributing to this shift. The Gothrabheri programme has been conceptualised to collect, document, and incorporate tribal ecological knowledge into official conservation and conflict mitigation policies. As part of the initiative, 18 regional seminars were held across Kerala, engaging as many as 1,016 tribal representatives from all 360 unnathis (tribal hamlets) in the State. Insights gathered from these interactions are being consolidated and studied for implementation. The initiative is a collaborative effort involving the Scheduled Tribes Development department, the Kerala Forest Research Institute, and other agencies, including the State Planning Board and the Kerala Startup Mission, to convert tribal insights into actionable government programmes. Highlighting Kerala's unique approach, Mr. Saseendran added that the government was investing in modern technologies and fostering inter-departmental coordination to enable transformative solutions in this area. Head of Forest Force in-charge and Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) P. Pugazhendi presided over the inaugural session. APCCFs L. Chandrasekhar, J. Justin Mohan, Scheduled Tribes Development department Director Renu Raj, State Planning Board member Jiju P. Alex, Kerala Forest Research Institute Director Kannan C.S. Warrier, Kerala State Biodiversity Board Chairman N. Anil Kumar, Raman Rajamannan, tribal king of the Mannan tribal community of Kovilmala in Idukki, and Periyar Tiger Reserve Field Director P.P. Pramod participated.
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Controlled burning ensures food security for Nilgiri tahrs in Eravikulam
In a strategic move to protect both wildlife and local communities, Eravikulam National Park (ENP) — the natural habitat of the endangered Nilgiri tahr — has embraced the controlled burning of grasslands. As fresh grass carpets the hills, wild animals find ample food, and the once-rising cases of human-animal conflict in Munnar are now on the decline. ENP assistant wildlife warden Nithin Lal said that this year, the Forest department conducted controlled burning on nearly 750 hectares. 'The controlled burning process starts in December and is completed in January. After the summer rain, hills where controlled burning was carried out changes into green carpets,' said the official. 'Every three years, the grass in the grasslands of ENP will become unsuitable for grazing. Nilgiri tahr and other animals will not feed on such grass. At that point, controlled burning will be carried out to ensure food security,' said Mr. Lal. 'Newborn Nilgiri tahr calves are eating the newly-grown grass from the grasslands. Controlled burning also ensures food security for wild elephants, including other animals in the Munnar landscape,' said the official. Since three decades According to officials, the Forest department started the process in Eravikulam around 30 years ago, based on the know-how from the tribal communities. According to Forest department sources, after the new grass grew following controlled burning on the hills, the wild animals, including wild elephants begin camping on the grasslands, which also reflects the reduction of human-animal conflict cases in Munnar. The Forest department, in association with the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) and the Scheduled Tribe Development department, has launched an initiative called 'Gothrabheri' to use tribal knowledge to mitigate human-animal conflict incidents in the State and also highlighted the importance of controlled burning. 'Gothrabheri' State nodal officer Raju K. Francis said that tribal population across Kerala an immediate tool to mitigate human-animal conflict cases in forest border areas. 'Controlled burning should be conducted inside forests in an emergency manner,' said Mr. Francis.
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Shift in ecosystem of Parambikulam forests through the eyes of tribes
In a groundbreaking discovery, the Forest department's 'Gothrabheri' programme, an initiative to tap into indigenous knowledge, has unveiled a fascinating narrative from the heart of the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve. At a recent seminar, a tribal participant revealed a shift in the ecosystem: while peacocks have flourished over the past decade, sightings of the once-common hump-nosed viper (locally called Churutta) are steadily declining. This revelation offers a glimpse into the nuanced balance of predator and prey, as seen through the eyes of the forest's original inhabitants. The Gothrabheri project was launched by the Forest department in association with the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) and the Scheduled Tribe Development department to explore tribal knowledge to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts in the State. From T.N. The project's State nodal officer Raju K. Francis states, 'According to tribal observations, peacocks prey on the hump-nosed vipers, which helps regulate the viper population that feeds on peacock eggs.' 'But for the last two years, giant peacocks from Top Slip in Tamil Nadu have arrived in the forests of Parambikulam and have fed on the vipers. The decline in vipers have led to a disproportionate surge in the peacock population. The Forest department will inspect whether the same happened in any other forests in the State,' says Mr. Francis. 'The tribespeople also mentioned that normally, animals and birds eat various types of fruits and seeds and when they excrete inside the forests, it helps in the growth of new plants. Whereas in the case of peacocks, they grind the seeds and eat them. Hence, there would not be a trace of seeds and no chance for new plant growth. This contributes to the afforestation of ground forests. The increase in the number of peacocks was noticed in various parts of the State, including in Idukki,' says the official. Dryness of land The presence of peacocks indicates the dryness of the land. 'The Forest department will conduct a scientific study with the support of respective authorities and agencies over the concerns raised by the tribespeople regarding the viper-peacock issue. It is a remarkable information from the tribal community. Hilly regions, including Idukki, have observed the presence of peacocks. We need to find the reason that led to their the presence,' adds Mr. Francis. The Gothrabheri project, according to officials, involves hosting a series of 15 seminars in various parts of the State. Through the initiative, the Forest department will engage in discussions with representatives from diverse tribal hamlets. 'After completing the seminars, a workshop will be conducted in Thiruvananthapuram with the presence of start-ups and experts,' says Mr. Francis.
