Elephant in the puddle | Photo source: Special arrangement
A swarm of thirsty elephants, water sources for human settlements, worried locals and officials concerned in forest departments, sounds like the perfect template for artificial conflict. However, forest department officials at Inchathotty Forest Station under the Munnar Forest Department of Kerala flipped the script and came up with a creative solution to relax locals and provide incentives for thirsty elephants and other wildlife by digging AA water holes.
18 officials at the Inchathotty Forest Station near Kothamangalam gathered for a storage tank price of Rs 12,000 and are now used not only by elephants but also by Sambar deer, wild boar, wild boar, nilga, smaller animals, and even strange python.
A few weeks ago, GG Santosh Kumar, deputy range officer at Inchathotty Forest Station, was told a group of large animals were waiting near the solar fence of Muniapara (falling under the Forest Station), trying to get past it to the Peryar River. The work of the 11km solar fence is designed to prevent elephants from raiding farms and human settlements.
Inchathotty Forest Station Waterhole built by Forest Department officials | Photo source: Special arrangement
“It’s their water source, but they go past the areas where people live,” Santosh Kumar said. “There is a four-month-old calf who will try to go beyond the fence in vain. It looks very thirsty. Every time it hits a fence, it will vibrate the current. We think the cattle will continue as usual. But they don’t, and it’s not easy to watch the thirsty cattle waiting there. We feel sorry for them. Their presence also makes the locals uneasy,” he said. The area includes rocky terrain, making water scarce. “Especially during peak summer season, waterfalls and streams are dry, making it difficult for these wildlife to access the water.”
Locals have good reason to worry that the memory of Eldhose in nearby Ululthanni was still fresh in December 2024. When the elephant did not leave even after a few days, Inchathotty officials proposed a watering hole plan in mid-February. In this way, it will also reassure the residents’ minds.
Although Santosh Kumar proposed the idea, he received full support from his colleagues.
Once the spots are identified, the fuel tank will be excavated using a JCB excavator – eight meters long, one meter deep, six meters wide and 50,000 liters of water. “Once the tank is lined with Silpaulin, we put it in dry leaves and other debris to make it look natural so that the animals are not suspicious. We have full support from locals in our efforts. Even the staff are excited once the pond is ready,” said Santosh Kumar. It is about 50 meters away from the main road, making weekly replenishment easy. Tanker trucks are used to fetch water from nearby Periyar for this purpose.
“We are all excited about how animals can use the puddle. We intend to maintain it for the time it needs to be,” said Santosh Kumar.
publishing – March 7, 2025, 2:49 pm
