Grassland restoration being undertaken to improve food availability for wildlife and mitigate human-elephant interactions in Gudalur

Tamil Nadu Forest Department restoring grasslands to improve wildlife food availability and reduce human-animal conflicts in Nilgiris.

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department is undertaking the restoration of grasslands in 160 acres of forest that had previously been taken over by invasive species of flora. The restoration effort, it is hoped, will improve food availability for wildlife, including elephants, and prevent negative human-animal interactions in the region caused by animals venturing into human settlements in search of food.

Speaking to The Hindu, Vengatesh Prabhu, Divisional Forest Officer (Gudalur), said that the restoration is being undertaken across the division, but primarily in Gudalur and Pandalur forest ranges, which have witnessed a high rate of negative human-elephant interactions in the recent past.

Mr. Prabhu said that the sites chosen for the restoration had been overrun by invasive weeds, including Lantana camara. “The weeds were removed and the cleared areas maintained with regular de-weeding, followed by planting of native species of grasses, fruiting trees and bamboo,” said Mr. Prabhu.

The Forest Department is restoring the area by introducing grass using three methods – by sowing grass seeds, introducing grass slips to cleared areas and turfing. They said that once the weeds were removed, in 50 hectare patches each month the restoration initiative was undertaken.

Among the fruiting trees that are being introduced to the restored sites are wild jamun (Syzigium cumini) and wild gooseberry, among others. Mr. Prabhu said that by restoring grasslands in the highly degraded landscapes of Gudalur, it was hoped that the fodder availability for wildlife, including elephants, Indian gaur and deer species would improve. It is also hoped that by increasing food availability, that wildlife would be less inclined to venture into human-dominated regions within the landscape in search of food.

Conservationists in the Nilgiris welcomed the initiative, stating that it was encouraging to see that the Forest Department was now beginning to understand the importance of grasslands in the Nilgiris landscape. They said that creating “buffers” between forests and human settlements through restoration of grasslands could potentially help mitigate human-elephant interactions.

“The Forest Department should identify areas where more of these solutions can be implemented across the landscape. While it may not be applicable everywhere, such initiatives, combined with other efforts to mitigate conflict between people and animals could prove to be beneficial for conservation in the long-run,” said a conservationist from the Nilgiris.