Coimbatore forest dept uses acoustic device to keep elephants at bay

COIMBATORE:  After trying out various methods to prevent wild elephants from intruding into human habitations, officials in the Coimbatore forest division have set up a device called ‘high-frequency acoustic crop safety’ in Kuppepalayam, which is situated near a forest near Thondamuthur.

The device, when connected to a solar panel, will emit disturbing noises of 4khZ at an interval of 10 seconds, after dusk, which can be heard up to 100 metres. Officials said similar models have been used in Coorg in Karnataka and Bhavani Sagar in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) and yielded good results.

District Forest Officer of Coimbatore TK Ashok Kumar said, “We fixed one device on a tree in Kuppepalayam on November 1, where wild elephant intrusions happen frequently. We will place similar devices in other forest ranges, especially in Coimbatore, Periyanacikenpalayam and Sirumugai, soon.”  

A team, led by associate professors of electronics and communication engineering Sanjoy Deb, R Ramkumar and R Saravanakumar from Bannari Amman Institute of Technology in Erode, has developed the device, which is available for Rs 3,300.

Professor Deb, who is also the head of ‘Technology for Wildlife, an organisation working for human-animal coexistence said, “Our device has created a good impact and the number of wild elephants intruding the farms has stopped where we have installed the device. This device also emits strong laser lights. Apart from elephants, the device can prevent the intrusion of wild boars and spotted deer.”