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TN forest officials use bio-repellents to ward off wild elephants

The forest officials said that the bio-repellent was extracted from a plant and was much harmless but still effective against the elephants.

TN forest officials use bio-repellents to ward off wild elephants

(File Photo)

Forest officials of Tamil Nadu’s Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) have used bio-repellents to prevent the intrusion of wild elephants into human settlements, thus reducing the number of jumbo attacks.

Since December 2021, officials of ATR have mixed bio-repellent in water and sprayed the mixture around residences and shops in Mudis estate, TANTEA, Sangali road, and Urulikkal.

The forest officials said that the bio-repellent was extracted from a plant and was much harmless but still effective against the elephants.

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The elephants, according to ATR officials, can sense its smell from as far as one and half kilometers away and stay away from human settlements.

A senior officer of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department based at Anamalai told IANS that the number of elephant attacks has reduced since the use of the bio-repellent.

According to him, the movement of around 200 elephants were recorded in 2020- 21 but it has come down to 140-150 elephant intrusions in the corresponding period from 2021-22 so far.

Studies conducted by the Forest Department have found that most of these elephants have gone inside to Tamil Nadu- Kerala forests from the Valpara plateau areas.

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