Samya Basu

Elephant Habitat Restoration Programme and Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation in Mayurjharna Elephant Reserve, West Bengal, India

Atrifical water storage for Elephants.

Experiment to restrict elephant movement.

'Hoola Dol' (Elephant Driving Team) is lighting the fire-torches before driving operation.

Elephant herd in Jhargram (Courtesy - Partha Pratim Tripathy, Forest Ranger, Belpahari Range, Jhargram).

Asian Elephant is considered as Endangered (EN A1cd) in RDB, IUCN and Schedule I species in Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. The only elephant reserve in South West Bengal is Mayurjharna Elephant Reserve (MER) with an area of 414.06 sq.km. The elephant population In MER increased from 45 in 1987 to 96 in 2005 (Ref. Census in Elephant Reserves in India, 2005). The population also represents the ‘Eastern India’ elephant population.

We will do a Rapid Assessment Survey in Mayurjharna Elephant Reserve and collect secondary data collection on elephant movement, human-elephant conflict, and ex-gratia payment, quantity and type of non-wood forest produce collected by the forest fringe villagers through field survey and questionnaire survey. We will do the enumeration of elephant population and elephant movement route will be recorded using GPS, direct and indirect evidences and we will study the habitat parameters such as availability of water sources, salt licks and terrains and anthropogenic pressure parameters such as logging and lopping pressure, NTFPs collection, grazing signs, villages, vehicle pressure on the road in MER and adjacent influence zone.

We intend to study the dependency of villagers on elephant fodder species in MER and adjacent areas. Intensive community conservation awareness will be organised to initiate a participatory conservation of threatened corridor forest. Intensive community conservation awareness and group meeting with villagers will be oraganized to initiate a participatory conservation of threatened corridor forest and coexistence of man and elephant. Through these community awareness programmes we intend to initiate different HEC mitigation policies like underground crop storage, study on probability of crop pattern change, introduction of genetically modified long awned rice varieties in sample villages.

The project will involve the Directorate of Forests, Government of West Bengal, Forest Protection Committee (FPC), NGOs and Institutions. Resource individuals, Panchayat (i.e. Self Government) will be a major part of the project during awareness programme. The research institute like Central Rice Research Institute will be contacted for their help to know about suitable rice varieties in elephant infested areas. Local cable channels, Electronic and print media will be involved for publicity, awareness and networking. The project experience and outcomes will be published and circulated to Government departments, institutions and NGOs to develop better participatory management plan of elephant habitats.

Read about Samya's previous work with elephants http://www.ruffordsmallgrants.org/rsg/projects/samya_basu or for more information contact samyabasu@hotmail.com or pachyderm_india@ymail.com