Dept to form spl team to curb wild elephant attacks

In a decisive move to stem escalating human-elephant conflict, the Kerala Forest Department has announced the immediate formation of a 500-member Special Reserve Force. This elite unit, comprising 100 five-member teams, will be strategically deployed in identified hotspots across the state to mitigate wild elephant attacks, following recent fatalities in Wayanad and Idukki that have intensified calls for urgent action. The initiative comes amid a growing crisis where India records nearly 500 human fatalities annually from elephant encounters, largely driven by increasing habitat fragmentation and expanding human settlements into traditional elephant movement corridors. Previous mitigation efforts, including structural barriers and early warning systems, have shown mixed effectiveness due to inconsistent enforcement, high maintenance costs, and procedural hurdles that erode community trust. The new force aims to address these systemic gaps by integrating local knowledge with enhanced surveillance and rapid response capabilities. Tasked with round-the-clock patrolling, monitoring elephant movements, and supporting existing Rapid Response Teams, the Special Reserve Force will leverage a blend of community expertise and technical solutions like solar-powered fences. Its success hinges on effective coordination, consistent resource allocation, and fostering trust within tribal communities, which remain critical stakeholders in achieving sustainable human-wildlife coexistence in Kerala's densely populated forest-fringe regions.