Within 24 hours, the Madukkarai Forest Range had lost two wild elephants to the atrocious intrusions of human beings in the forest areas. A young tusker was captured in the midst of an elaborate media circus, to be tortured and tamed; and the life of a 25-year-old female was taken away by a speeding train, all within a span of 24 hours.

Though the forest department has blamed the choice of crops that attract elephants, including sugarcane, plantain, and coconuts, as the reason for increased number of wildlife intrusions, officials are largely silent on the increased human encroachments inside reserve forests.

While everybody made a huge fuss about animals straying into human habitats for food and water, a stony silence is being maintained on the blatant encroachments and the exploitation of natural resources inside the forest. The excuse given by the Forest Department to explain this selective silence – “It is happening all over the country!”

But, the encroachments in the Madukkarai range are very peculiar and far more tragic.

Starting from quarries to illegal fencing put up by educational institutions, the area has become one of the worst places for wildlife to exist peacefully. The sounds emanating from the military shooting range in the vicinity only make it all worse.

According to environmentalists, numerous fences put up by the educational institutions have drastically narrowed down the traditional migratory route, forcing the pachyderm to venture into human habitation. Yet, even after repeated suggestions and requests, leased out lands inside forest areas have not been returned, due to various political reasons. Relocating the animals, under the pretext of saving them, will not solve the issue.

Environmentalists also feel that officials are trying to portray the wild animals as villains to cover up human intrusions inside reserve forests. “Activities like these simply destroy the serenity of the forest. These animals cannot live peacefully if there are constant disturbances in their natural habitats,” says K. Mohan Raj, a Coimbatore-based environmentalist.

Referring to the train accident that killed a cow elephant, Mohan Raj adds that these are examples of how even the steps taken by the forest department have failed. “We cannot stop encroachment inside forest. Why can’t we create a communication link with the railways, so that the pilots are informed if elephants are the tracks?” he asks, exasperated.

When the real issues are not being dealt with properly for various commercial and political reasons, intrusions of wild animals, especially elephants, will certainly increase in the future. Capturing and sending away each and every animal that strays into the encroached areas is no solution.

Encroachments must be strictly dealt with. Or, simply stopped.

“If the state government successfully retakes the forest land and gives it back to the animals, both humans and animals can coexist peacefully,” says the environmentalist.