Karnataka - Bangalore

Only 3 vets at Forest Department’s disposal

What went wrong? Forest officials and veterinarians examining the elephant that died after it was captured in Kodagu on Tuesday

Bangalore: Even as the State Forest Department awaits the results of the post-mortem on the elephant that died on Tuesday after its capture during a translocation operation in Kodagu, officials here have expressed the need for more wildlife veterinarians in the department.

There are no more than three wildlife vets at the Department’s disposal, while three others are deputed at the Mysore zoo, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) I.B. Srivastava told The Hindu. “This is just not enough. We need a wildlife vet for every one of our 11 divisions,” he added.

Needless to say the vets are overworked as a result. “We have to take care of five wildlife divisions each,” said veterinarian officer of Hunsur division J. Srinivas. “I travel almost every day on work.” Another matter of concern for Dr. Srinivas is that the vets do not get adequate professional training in wildlife health.

“We learn on the job,” said Dr. Srinivas, who is a graduate of the Bangalore Veterinary College. The only formal training he received was on microchipping elephants a few months ago. “I would like to be kept more updated with the latest technologies in wildlife science,” he added.

“It is out of interest that they develop their skills and expertise. But it is a difficult task locating vets who are interested in wildlife,” says Mr. Srivastava. And this trend reflects the dearth of trained wildlife vets across the country says Ajith Kumar, Centre for Wildlife Studies. “The importance of wildlife vets and training in wildlife health has to be recognised.”

Neither the operation to translocate four elephants in Kodagu, nor the death of one tusker on Tuesday, have been communicated to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) at the Centre, according to A.N. Prasad, Director Project Elephant, MoEF.

“The State Government needs to seek permission from the Centre for translocating elephants if it is on grounds of habitat fragmentation or crop destruction. However, if translocation is carried out for human safety, the State Chief Wildlife Warden can do so independently — but they must inform the Centre,” Mr. Prasad explained. “This operation was done without our knowledge,” he told The Hindu.

According to Mr. Srivastava, however, the State Department had made several appeals over the last two years to the Centre. “They were not able to take decision so we had to come to a decision at our level.”

Mr. Prasad said that the State Government had submitted a proposal to MoEF to translocate 25 elephants from Hassan and Kodagu in early 2008 citing habitat fragmentation as the reason. However, “permission has not been granted,” Mr. Prasad said.

“Though in principle we agree with translocation in places such as Hassan, where elephants are trapped in fragmented habitat, the State Department has to demonstrate a high level of expertise, preparedness and a fool-proof plan of action,” he added.

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