Another Human-Animal Conflict In Kerala, Elephant Killed

A wild elephant was electrocuted due to human-animal conflict. The trap was laid by unidentified people in the Palakkad district of Kerala. The age of the elephant is believed to be between 15 and 20 years. The place where the incident took place is an estate owned by a private individual who has lived in the district for more than three decades. The dead body of the female elephant was found near the paddy field adjacent to the 350-meter-long wire laid by unidentified people on Wednesday morning. 

Highlights

• A wild animal died due to electrocution.
• The trap was laid by unidentified persons.
• Human-animal conflict is increasing in India.

According to the forest officials, the elephant got into the trap installed by an unidentified person to catch wild boars. The department is yet to clarify the real reason behind the death of the elephant after the post-mortem report. 

This is not the first time the human-animal conflict in Kerala has made headlines. Last year, a pregnant elephant died after eating a pineapple containing firecrackers. People expressed their outrage, openly condemning the incident. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change released data stating that between the years 2009 and 2019, 600 elephants died because of electrocution. 

What is human-animal conflict?

As a result, when the human population grows to such a level that the land on which they inhabited earlier becomes insufficient, they start encroaching on the land of other animals. The interaction between humans and animals increases many folds, and due to the technological advancement of humans, animals fall prey to it and, in turn, get harmed. It is this interaction that is not only harmful to animals but also to humans as well.

Humans being injured or killed by wild animals, the destruction of crops and wild animals killed or harmed by humans are all examples of human-animal conflict and how it can prove to be detrimental to our earth.  

What can we do to minimize this conflict?

The most important thing humans can do is start controlling their population. If the population is in balance with the resources, then animals will never have to lose their land and search for new ones. Creating protected areas with limited human intervention can be done to protect the animals. Another problem that animals face is the disturbance in the food chain. Awareness campaigns should be launched to tell them about the importance of living in harmony with animals. 

Excessive hunting of one particular species leads to problems in ecological balance. One thing people should understand is that if you cannot make something right, at least don’t try to make it worse.