Guwahati: In a significant move towards mitigating human-elephant conflict and ensuring the safety of both communities and wildlife, a tusker was successfully radio-collared in Assam’s Baksa district on November 18.
The operation, led by the Assam Forest Department and Baksa Forest Division, with support from the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), saw the collaboration of various stakeholders including the District Administration, police, SBI Foundation, and Professor Curtis Griffin of the University of Massachusetts, USA.
The elephant, part of a 50-strong herd, was tranquilized using a combination of veterinary expertise and forest officials’ skills in the Jartaluk area. The team, led by Dr. C. Ramesh, Field Director of Manas Tiger Reserve, and supervised by Golap Baniya, DFO of Baksa Forest Division, ensured the operation’s success, with the elephant later rejoining its herd.
The radio-collaring, facilitated by Aaranyak, a biodiversity conservation organisation, will provide valuable data on elephant movement, aiding in the management of human-elephant conflict. The GPS-based satellite-radio telemetry collar will transmit information on the elephant’s migratory patterns, habitat preferences, and herd behavior.
The operation was supported by a team of veterinarians from Assam State Zoo, led by DFO Ashwini Kumar, IFS, who provided essential veterinary support and equipment. The team also included wildlife biologists, researchers from Green Globe and WWF India, and local stakeholders.
Dr. Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, Senior Conservation Scientist at Aaranyak, emphasised the significance of the radio-collar in understanding the elephant’s ecology, habitat utilisation, and movement patterns, ultimately contributing to the development of more effective elephant conservation strategies.
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