Kochi : Voice for Asian Elephants Society (VFAES), in collaboration with its grassroots partner, Nature Mates Nature Club (NMNC), proudly announces the acquisition of 4.00 acres of private plantation land adjacent to the Nedumkayam forest of Nilambur South Forest Division. This land will be gifted to the Kerala Forest Department (KFD) for rewilding, securing elephant habitat, and ensuring the preservation of wildlife. The area would subsequently form part of the Nilambur Elephant Reserve area.
An application shall be submitted by VFAES and NMNC to Kerala Forest Department on June 16, 2023, pledging to gift the land to KFD that will solidify the commitment to rewilding and maintaining this land as a natural habitat in perpetuity. The initiative aligns with the provisions of the Kerala Forest Act 1961 and Rebuild Kerala initiatives of the Government aim to foster the regeneration of native and endemic species, allowing wild elephants and other wildlife to graze freely without human interference.
This initiative highlights the need to conserve elephant habitats as well as their migratory paths, given that the ancient elephant migratory pathways and corridors have been disrupted, currently posing significant safety concerns for people and elephants.
As long-ranging animals, elephants wander across vast areas in search of food and water, making their way into croplands and homes due to the loss of habitats. This results in property damage and tragic deaths of people and elephants. To address this challenge, the voluntary relocation and rehabilitation of forest communities, and the purchase of land to maintain contiguous forests for rewilding are essential.
VFAES, along with its Board of Directors, is honored to dedicate this 4.00-acre private land to elephants and wildlife. VFAES is grateful to the Kerala Forest Department, especially Jyothilal, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary of Forest & Wildlife Department, Mrs. Prakriti Srivastava, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (RKDP), K. Vijayananthan IFS, Chief Conservator of Forest, Palakkad and Praveen, Divisional Forest Officer, Nilambur South for their unwavering support in facilitating the land transfer.
Sangita Iyer, the Founding Executive Director of Voice for Asian Elephants, emphasizes “gifting the land to the forest department for rewilding will highlight the issue of conserving elephant habitats and corridors which will also help mitigate human elephant conflict by preventing elephants from straying out of their habitats, and foster a peaceful coexistence.”
Expressing gratitude for the remarkable contribution made by VFAES and NMNC, Prakriti Srivastava, IFS PCCF and her team recognize the importance of such collaborations in the conservation and welfare of elephants and their habitats in the wild. She affirms the Kerala Government’s commitment to empowering people through voluntary relocation, and facilitating biodiversity conservation through the Rebuild Kerala Development Program. She also looks forward to future collaborations with VFAES and NMNC for the common cause of conservation.
Sangita Iyer, the Founding Executive Director of Voice for Asian Elephants, K. Vijayananthan IFS, Chief Conservator of Forest, Palakkad, and Arjan Basu Roy, Secretary, Nature Mates Nature Club attended the press conference.
