Farmers welcome State Government’s science-based steps to minimise man – wildlife conflict
Farmers in Tamil Nadu are supporting the state government's new science-based initiatives to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. The plan includes installing solar fences and other protective measures to prevent wild animals from damaging crops and attacking residents near the Western Ghats.
Why it matters
Effective conflict mitigation is essential for both the safety of rural populations and the preservation of wildlife in agricultural border zones.
The Tamil Nadu Government’s move to scientifically minimise the man – wildlife conflict, which even leads to loss of precious life in Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts, will be a great relief to the farming community, especially the agriculturists having their ranches close to the Western Ghats.
In the very recent sloth bear attack at Mela Ambur near Kadayam in Tenkasi district on July 31, 61-year-old G. Murugan from a village near Papanasam was mauled to death. The forest personnel, who arrived at the spot to rescue the farmer after receiving alert from the public about this attack, could not even chase the ferocious animal back into the forest.
In a similar attack at Puliyangudi in Tenkasi district, a crop-raiding sloth bear inflicted grievous bleeding injuries on three women farmhands - Ramalakshmi, 42 and Palaniammal, 43, Seihu Ammal, 48 – on August 7 last year.
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