Vijayan explained that the rise in temperatures has led wild creatures to venture into human settlements in their quest for sustenance and water, resulting in human casualties and crop destruction.
He mentioned that recent directives were issued to curb human-animal conflicts and that a senior-level meeting was convened on Friday to assess the government's actions to date, according to a report on PTI.
Till now, initiatives implemented include the cultivation of a distinct bee variety that wards off elephants, provision of sufficient water sources for wildlife in forest zones susceptible to human-animal conflicts, establishment of a round-the-clock central control unit at the forest department's main office and initiation of crisis management centers in 36 forest sectors, he elaborated.
The Chief Minister also highlighted a potential issue with the bees that repel elephants: their tendency to attract bears. Hence, these bees need to be cultivated in regions devoid of bears, the Chief Minister noted during the briefing.
Additional actions by the government include the creation of Whatsapp groups for notifying individuals in at-risk locations, the deployment of 900 surveillance personnel, as necessary, in conflict-prone areas, and the clearance of shrubbery from 66 estates in the Wayanad district of the state, he stated.
In addition to these measures, efforts have been made to acquire 64 pump action guns, two tranquilizer guns, and four drones, as well as to enhance public awareness committees at the panchayat level.