Jumbos in Karnataka get a freeway
New Delhi: Nearly 1,000 elephants and other wild species can now wander without bothering about human interference in a corridor in Kollegal, Karnataka.
It’s a New Year gift from Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). The NGO, supported by its partner, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), purchased the nearly 25 acre Kollegal (Edayarhalli-Doddasampige) elephant corridor from private owners and transferred it to the State government.
Last week, the State Forest Department and WTI signed the land ownership transfer agreement. “This is a very good initiative to re-establish the habitat and remove impediments to elephant movement. Generally, these kind of initiatives are easier with the involvement of NGOs.
More corridors need to be secured to ensure long-term conservation of elephants,” said Biswajit Misra, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Karnataka.
Sandeep Kumar Tiwari, who heads WTI’s National Elephant Project, said, “This corridor provides safe passage for more than a 1,000 elephants, besides other wild animals, and will undoubtedly help minimise human-elephant conflicts.”
An agreement for a second corridor (Tirunelli-Kudrakote) has been signed by WTI with the Kerala Forest Department. It can be used by 5,000 elephants to move between Brahmagiri Hills near Coorg in Karnataka and the Wyanad region in northern Kerala.
Efforts are also on to secure the Siju-Rewak Corridor in the Garo Hills in Meghalaya.