Mangaluru (Karnataka): The Karnataka government has approved the formation of a 48-member elephant task force in Dakshina Kannada district to tackle the growing problem of human-elephant conflict. The decision, taken by Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology Eshwar Khandre, aims to protect both human lives and crops from elephant incursions.
Dedicated team to monitor and drive back elephants
According to a statement from the Minister’s office, the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Mangaluru Division, will head the new task force. The team will be responsible for monitoring elephant movements in forest-bordering areas and driving herds back into the wild when they stray into human settlements or agricultural lands.
The force includes an Assistant Conservator of Forests, a veterinary doctor, one Range Forest Officer, four Deputy Range Forest Officers, eight forest guards, and 32 outsourced front-line workers. The personnel will conduct regular patrols in vulnerable areas, particularly where elephants are known to enter farmlands or residential zones.
Real-time alerts and coordination with control room
To improve coordination and public safety, the task force will relay real-time information about elephant movements to a district-level control room. The control room will, in turn, issue alerts to local residents and officials in affected areas to minimise the risk of human encounters.
“The team’s role is not just to chase elephants away but to ensure proactive communication and reduce panic among villagers,” an official from the Forest Department said.
Reducing human-animal conflict
Minister Eshwar Khandre said that the task force was being formed as part of the state’s ongoing strategy to mitigate human-animal conflict in regions witnessing increased elephant activity. “This force has been constituted to save human lives and safeguard crops. It will act swiftly to prevent damage and loss in affected villages,” he said.
Human-elephant encounters have become a recurring issue in parts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Chikkamagaluru, particularly during harvest seasons when elephants venture close to farmlands in search of food.
Long-term conservation and management strategy
Officials added that the Forest Department is also working on long-term measures, including improving forest boundaries, enhancing food and water availability for elephants within forest limits, and using early-warning systems and drone surveillance in high-conflict zones.
The department plans to review the performance of the new task force periodically and extend similar units to other sensitive districts if the initiative proves successful.
With the creation of this dedicated unit, Karnataka hopes to strike a balance between wildlife conservation and human safety, ensuring that coexistence in elephant-prone regions becomes more sustainable and less hazardous.