430 households in Kombukuthi tribal village stay in concern of untamed animal assaults

By Express News Service

KOTTAYAM: Mohan, had a slender escape when he encountered a leopard a number of days in the past. He was a rubber tapping labourer on the B-division of Travancore Rubber and Tea Estate in Chennappara Top, an space bordering the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR), at Kombukuthi close to Mundakayam. The animal was resting on a rock a number of metres away from him. After alerting his fellow staff, together with the ladies within the property, he ran away from the spot.

“There are around seven women and three men tapping workers in this division. The presence of wild elephants, wild boars and even bison is common here,” he mentioned.

For the residents of Kombukuthi, a tribal hamlet adjoining Sabarimala forests in Koruthodu grama panchayat, on a regular basis is like strolling on a tightrope as they stay in concern of untamed animal assaults all year long. Though no human casualty was reported in man-animal battle within the latest previous, the lives and properties of the residents are in danger all of the yr, particularly throughout the summer time season. Recently, a leopard has additionally been added to the record.

Hardly every week in the past, a King Cobra was noticed round 50 metres away from the property strains the place 37 households reside. When the residents alerted the forest officers, they rushed to the spot and caught the 12-feet-long snake. On Thursday morning, the carcass of a canine, partially eaten, suspected by a leopard, was discovered on the home of Babu of Kooralil in Kombukuthi.

On the next day, Robin, an autorickshaw driver, and Ratheesh of Kallelpallil home noticed a Bison on the wayside of Kombukuthi-Madukka highway. Just a few years in the past, a bear had fallen right into a properly of a home right here. Though forest officers rescued the animal, it died whereas being shifted to the forest. Coconut timber, areca palms, nutmegs and vegetable cultivations are broadly destroyed by wild boars and elephants.

“People here are living in constant fear of animal attacks. Wild elephants destroyed a grocery shop at Kannattu Kavala and the asbestos sheets of a house nearby a few months ago. Agriculture crops are also being destroyed on an everyday basis,” mentioned KS Latha, who represents the Kombukuthi ward in Koruthodu panchayat.

According to Okay R Saine, a CPM employee, leopards have killed as many as 30 canine prior to now couple of months. “The dogs were caught and killed from the houses, and not from the streets. On Sunday night, I directly spotted a leopard at Kumbalamthadam along Kombukuthi-Madukka road, which is hardly 1km away from the forest aid-post,” he mentioned.

In mild of the latest incidents, forest officers put in 4 cameras (two every in Kombukuthi and Chennappara) a few days in the past to test the motion of animals. “As per indications, we suspect the presence of leopards here. However, we couldn’t trace it even after installing cameras,” mentioned N G Jayakumar, vary forest officer, Erumely. The authorities are additionally planning to arrange a cage to catch the leopard whether it is noticed on digital camera.

There are round 430 households within the village, which is primarily occupied by Hindu Malaaraya Tribe. People belonging to the General and SC neighborhood additionally inhabit the place. The solely demand of the villagers is a treatment for the assault of untamed animals that pose a grave menace to their life and property. “Forest officials should take urgent steps to ensure the security of the people here. There is no permanent staff in the forest aid post here. Besides the round-the-clock service of forest officials, forest watchers should be deployed to check the movement of wild animals and prevent them from entering farmlands and human settlements,” mentioned Saine.

Meanwhile, the vary officer mentioned steps have already been initiated to make sure the safety of the villagers from animal assaults. “We have already deployed two watchers after villagers complained about the presence of leopards. To prevent elephant attacks, the forest department has installed solar-powered fences around 9km from Koruthodu to Kombukuthi. However, there is a gap of nearly 430 metres, where we are planning to dig a trench. Procedural formalities are progressing in this regard and we are hopeful of getting sanction from the government,” mentioned Jayakumar.