Drought, depleting forests make animals vulnerable

The acute drought in northern and western Tamil Nadu has made life miserable for spotted deer and wild boar, informed officials said, admitting that there is an increase in deer deaths due to water shortage of late.

According to them, the movement of elephants into human habitations had also increased this summer. Complaints of elephants straying in Coimbatore, Erode and Krishnagiri district has become common since March. In Andhiyur forest coming under Erode a special squad has been posted to monitor the elephant movement, the senior official said, adding that crocodiles straying into human habitations was also reported in Kancheepuram and Cuddalore where waterbodies are drying up.

“Sighting of the jackal, deer, wild boar, toddy cat, mongoose were once common in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur and now it has become rare. With the massive destruction of trees due to cyclone Gaja and Vardah in greater Chennai and delta region, the sighting of these animals has dwindled confirming the threat to less known mammal population,” said conservation scientist A Kumaraguru of Tiruchy-based Biodiversity Conservation Foundation.

In the past two weeks at least four spotted deer including two fawns were found dead in Tiruchy forest division due to drought.

“While mortality records are maintained for large wild animals, the deaths of small mammals are hardly recorded. Further, there is no census data to specify the population decline or incline for small animals,” said wildlife activist K Mohan Raj from Coimbatore.

“Sighting of wild animals along state highways and main roads is common during this season and there are calves finding it difficult to cope up with the drought,” said wildlife enthusiast Abraham Antony, who is compiling the difficulties faced by wildlife during this summer.