Chhattisgarh: Training camp set up for elephant management in Jashpur

Jashpur (Chhattisgarh) [India], January 6 (ANI): An elephant training and awareness camp has been set up for elephant management and to promote a friendly environment between elephants and locals in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district.
The initiative has been taken after several cases were reported in which elephants killed people and several elephants died due to electrocution in the district. Jashpur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Jitendra Upadhyay inaugurated the two-day training camp in Sarkara village of Tapkara range in the district on Thursday.
Jashpur district is considered to be the gateway of elephants in Chhattisgarh. Elephants came here for the first time from the Jharkhand border in 1986 and then crossed the Odisha border during 90s and entered the Jashpur district. Since then, the range of elephants and their population has increased in the district. The situation has become such that Jashpur and Surguja Zone has become a Human-Elephant Conflict Zone.
During the camp, Hathi Mitra Dal and Forest Management Committee will learn about elephant management and make people aware about elephant behaviour.
DFO Upadhyay said, "Sarkara Hathi Mitra Dal has done excellent work in elephant management in the last 10 to 11 years. They know how to protect elephants as well as the villagers. According to their wishes, a camp is being organised here where they share their experiences with other Hathi Mitra Dal of the district."
"They will explain the details about elephant behaviours and safety measures to deal with it. A training centre has also been set up in the village with the aim to promote and explain their achievement with others so that they can also achieve the same," DFO added.
Elephant expert Prabhat Dubey said, "First of all the roles and responsibilities of Hathi Mitra Dal will be explained in the camp. Secondly, safety measures will be explained and about the practices to be followed to stop the elephant within the forest and avoid the movement of villagers towards the elephant."
"After that identification of elephants will be explained, their behaviour, ecology, body structure will also be explained in the camp," Dubey added. (ANI)