Twenty-four elephants have met with an agonising end in the State during the last five years.
Death has come to them in the form of bullet shots, electrocution, explosives and vehicle hits besides the infighting among the herds, predation, accidents and contagious diseases, say official records.
Since 2015, the State has lost 416 elephants, according to a conservative estimate. The real numbers could go up even further, fear forest officials. Most of the pachyderms have breathed their last due to natural causes, including old age, during the period.
The year 2019 saw 120 wild elephant deaths, 10 of them owing to unnatural causes, according to data available with the State Forest Department.
The State is home to 5,706 wild elephants, as per the latest elephant census held three years ago.
Wild elephants of Kerala have become a talking point nationally after the death of a pregnant elephant in a stream at Thiruvizhamkunnu, near Marnnarkad, in Palakkad district. The animal died allegedly after it chewed a fruit-laced snare set up by someone.
Last year, six elephants died due to unnatural reasons, which could be linked to human activities, and two elephants fell prey to ‘deliberate electrocution.’ Six others died due to accidental electrocution. The reasons that led to the end of eight others remain unknown. The year also witnessed poachers finishing off an elephant, moving trains mowing down four, and seven others succumbing to contagious disease, say the data keepers of the department.
The elephants killed 15 persons during the year and the State had distributed ₹95 lakh as ex gratia to the survivors of the victims. The year witnessed a payment of ₹3.03 crore as compensation for crop loss.
Poachers had a free run during 2013-14 period in the State. As the guard was lowered and enforcement activities took a back seat, poachers gunned down 12 elephants from the Malayattoor, Vazhachal and Munnar forests.As many as 20 cases were registered in relation with poaching and 50 persons booked. One of the accused is still at large. The cases are in various stages of trial, said a forest official.