- At Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Madhya Pradesh, ten elephants died due to suspected Kodo millet toxicity.
- The incident exposed lapses in elephant management.
- Toxicology reports confirmed cyclopiazonic acid in the elephants’ organs, originating from Kodo millet consumption.
- Fungal infection in the Kodo crop, linked to specific climatic conditions, was identified as the source of toxicity.
- Post-mortem and forensic tests corroborated acute toxicity from fungal infection.
- Elephants could not be saved as there was a lack of timely intervention, inadequate veterinary resources, and an absence of permanent treatment facilities.
- Recommended Reforms:
- Technology: Proposals for satellite collars, thermal imaging, tracking and alert systems, and deployment of trap cameras for identifying elephants.
- Research: Research on Kodo millet’s health impacts and identification of fungal infections in crops.
- Infrastructure: Enhanced veterinary facilities, elephant-proof quarters, and regular patrolling teams equipped with tranquillizers.
- Training: Madhya Pradesh sent teams to states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to study best practices.
| Bandhavgarh National Park Located in Madhya Pradesh’s Vindhya hills, dense population of Royal Bengal Tigers, the highest globally, and the origin place of White Tigers. Spanning a core area of 694 sq. km and a buffer of 437 sq. km, its terrain features rocky hills, forested valleys, and grassy swamps. Declared a national park in 1968, later included under Project Tiger in 1993, officially becoming Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. The increasing elephant population in Madhya Pradesh, primarily migrating from Chhattisgarh and Odisha, poses challenges. BTR alone hosts 65-70 elephants, but resources for their management remain inadequate. |
Dig Deeper: Read about issues related to other protected areas of Madhya Pradesh like Panna Tiger Reserve (Ken-Betwa Link Project)
