elephant problems in North bengal

1. And
Pabitra Bhattacharya
(Deptt. Of Geography
BIDHAN CHANDRA
COLLEGE,Rishra, ]
Shakya Ganguly
Bidhan Chandra College
EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON INDIAN
ELEPHANTS

2. abstract
 Changing climatic conditions can have the big effect on
our life and our environment. Infact, it is the greatest
environmental threat faced by planet earth. The change in
weather conditions can be best observed through the
extreme rise in temperature, melting of glaciers and
sudden rise in sea level. These changes are causing
serious problems to humans and other forms of life.
Biologist and Environmentalists are constantly searching
for the new solutions to combat these environmental
changes.
Biodiversity :
The changes in the climatic conditions are already felt by
the biodiversity and wildlife habitats across the world.
Many plant and animal species are eventually becoming
extinct as a result of the climatic changes. Some of the
plant and animal species are unable to adapt to the
changing climate. While some of the mammals have
already reached the suitable places, appropriate for their
survival.Such a mammal which is frequently changing its
Desertification

3. study area
CHILAPATA FOREST
The Chilapata Forest, is 20 km away from Alipurduar and at a distance of 95 km
from The Riverwood Forest Retreat Dooars,. One of the lesser-known wildlife
abodes in the region, the forest forms an elephant corridor between Jaldapara and
Buxa Tiger Reserve. The rain-fed Bania river meanders its way through the forest.
The main attraction here is the Nalraja Garh or the fort of the Nal kings. The fort
was built in the 5th century during the Gupta period. A stone temple is situated
nearby

4. OBJECTIVESOF THE STUDY
1) The major objectives of this study are to determine the environmental factors which influencing the
status of prey abundance (i.e., vegetation)
2)TO KNOW how does prey abundance and their spatial distribution influence the frequency of crop
raiding caused by elephant
3)TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATIC CHANGES ON INDIAN ELEPHANTS

5. METHODOLOGY

Survey at CHILAPATA
FOREST of West
Bengal with a standard
questionnaire set.
Procuring maps of the
study area.
Taking snaps of field
photographs.

6. The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is found in 13 countries in
South and Southeast Asia included in Bangladesh and listed as an
endangered species by the IUCN Red Data Book and the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service. In-total, between 38,000 and 50,000 Asian elephants
remain in the wild, along with about 13,000 trained domestic elephants
ASIAN ELEPHANTS

7. INITIAL STUDY RESULTS
Elephants spend more than 12 hours a day in feeding, and their choice
of plant species and plant parts varies considerably with season.
Recent studies show that the browsed plants generally provide more
carbon (protein) for growth, and therefore the preservation of browsed-
rich habitats is important for elephant conservation (Sukumar, 1993).
However, global warming is one of the major causes of species
extinctions, and this combined with other existing problems (e.g.,
destruction & fragmentation of habitats, and uncontrolled &
unsustainable human development); will push Asian elephants over the
edge of extinction unless drastic measures are taken immediately. It is
unknown whether the elephants will be able adapt to changing climate,
and if yes, how they will adapt. For example, shortage of food (i.e.,
plant species) because of changed rainfall patterns may provide an
indication of the effect of climate change on existing elephants. There
are preliminary indications that extreme weather conditions such as
drought are changing the distribution, and in some cases, biology of
elephant, prompting to suggest that existing measures to conserve
them may no longer be efficient enough.

8. During our study we found that the already endangered species faces further struggle as even the slightest temperature
change can lower their chances of survival dramatically.
Climate change leaves the animals at risk of drought, disease and death as the heat causes freshwater supplies to
dwindle, infectious diseases to spread faster and brings with it one of the biggest killers of elephants in India - heat
stroke.
The study found that elephants thrive at an optimum temperature of 23oC, and deviations from this leave them more
vulnerable. The eastern region is predicted to experience a rise of 0.1 to 3oC, over the next 30 to 40 years – a
seemingly small change, but one that could wipe out the entire elephant population.
'We think of elephants as very resilient animals, very robust, but then we see at the same time there is a very narrow
range at which they are at their optimal survival. If the climate changes by even a few degrees it can substantially
reduce survival,' .
'We found that the youngest elephants, the calves, are quite susceptible to extremes. Once we move out of their
optimal to their maximum temperature, it doubles their mortality risk
The discovery that calves are particularly threatened by rising temperatures is important, since these offspring are
integral for the survival of the species. Elephants, like humans, reproduce later in life and if the calves die before they
can mate then the species will be unable to survive.
The variations in temperature between seasons in some places are already large, but the climate projections show that
not only will temperatures rise but there will be fewer monsoon months. The higher the rainfall, the better the chance
of survival is for the elephants; dryer hotter months could prove to be fatal.
There has been little previous research into how long-lived species will adapt to climate change, since the time
required to study generations of these animals exceeds the lifespan of most scientists. We were given access to a
unique database which held information on the lives of around 800 Asian elephants from 1960 to 2000. 'We have
captured the whole lives of generations, their month to month survival, as well as the month to month climate, so we
can look at small scale individual changes in a way we'd never be able to if we began collecting data now.'
DIRECT EFFECTS ON ELEPHANTS

9. MUSTH
Musth or must /ˈmʌst/ is a periodic
condition in bull (male) elephants,
characterized by highly aggressive
behavior and accompanied by a large
rise in reproductive
hormones. Testosterone levels in an
elephant in musth can be as much as
60 times greater than in the same
elephant at other times. However,
whether this hormonal surge is the
sole cause of musth, or merely a
contributing factor, is unknown;
scientific investigation of musth is
problematic because even the most
placid elephants become highly violent
toward humans and other elephants
during musth, requiring segregation
and isolation until they recover.

10. Asian elephants usually migrate at the beginning
of the dry season, between June and November;
heading toward more hospitable locations near
rivers and water sources that are not prone to
drying. When the rainy season arrives, usually
from October to December and March to June,
elephant herds return to native regions to feed on
the lush, green vegetation the rains helped
regenerate. Elephant migration allows time for the
re—growth of vegetation in exhausted grazing
areas.
MIGRATION

11. Migration Conditions
Elephant migrations occur in a very well organised manner. The migration
method depends on environmental conditions
The group is usually led by the oldest female or the matriarch; she guides the
group on where to go and what do and is constantly on guard for whenever a
threat to the group’s safety is detected.She sees to it that the little ones are
kept well fed and safe and that the group remains intact.
Indian elephants are natural travelers. They love to travel with their group
over large distances in search of a land where there is plenty of food.
Elephants are herbivores and can live on chewing grass of the ground and
leaves from the trees, but with the dry weather or low rainfall, it means that
plants don’t grow quickly enough where it can feed a family of elephants for
very long without having to change location, thus the great Indian elephant
migration.

12. THE GREAT SIDE EFFECT
The Kaviguru Express killed seven elephants,
including two calves, at dusk as it sped through
the Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary in North
Bengal on Wednesday, November 13. Another ten
elephants were seriously injured and the death
toll is expected to rise.
The dead and injured elephants were in a herd of
40 that were crossing the railway tracks near
Jaldhaka Bridge when the Guwahati-bound
passenger train plowed into them. It is estimated
that the train was traveling at 110 kilometres per
hour when it struck the herd, according to a
senior forest department official. According to
Hiten Burman, forestry minister for West Bengal,
after the train struck, “the herd scattered, but
returned to the railway tracks and stood there
for quite some time before they were driven
away by forest guards and railroad workers
who rushed to the spot after the accident.”

13. There is no shame in accepting the fact that we humans
are helpless before natures fury,but still we can try
our bit to protect these helpless creatures.
1)Local people will have to join hands with the forest
department.In this way the forest officials can give
the elephants treatment at the crucial times,which
does not happen in most cases
2)Social awareness is very important,because each and
every person should have a clear importance of these
creatures to our environment.
3)The government should use hitech technologies so
that the future natural hazards can be detected
clearly,so that the wild elephants can be saved in
time.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
MANAGEMENT

14. ELEPHANT DEATHS DUE TO CLIMATIC CHANGES OR
HAZARDS [SOURCE- P .T. I]
year ELEPHANT DEATHS
1997 9
1998 11
2001 11
2004 14
2007 17
2010 14
2012 16

15. GOD PLEASE SHOW SOME MERCY TOWARDS
THESE INNOCENT CREATURES
THANK YOU
HEAT STROKES-A Cruel KILLER