Poaching Not The Only Problem

And what does this article have to do with us?  Well, the possibility that climate change creates extreme weather conditions, of course! 

Also, where I live in California, water is a precious resource, and every year we worry about drought.

So, please, if you can, cut down on the amount of energy and water you consume, so that WE can save the elephants and other species!  Each one of us CAN make a difference!

Drought-hit elephants shifted to deep forests


MYSORE: A herd of elephants have been shifted from near-dry Bandipur to a deeper Mulehole area inside the sanctuary where active water bodies and fodder still exist. 

Most of the waterholes and tanks in the Bandipur camp have gone dry in the very first week of summer, forcing the Bandipur tiger sanctuary authorities to move the elephants to leafy terrains.

For long, the Bandipur camp was home to just 3-4 elephants and the rest of the herd were spread out in other camps. With an intention to keep the elephants under single roof, all these camps merged into Bandipur that now houses 17 animals. 

The Mulehole area's Ramapur camp still hosts a lot of greenery and waterholes. 

Conservator of forests H C Kantharaju said Mulehole is the best summer address for the elephants and the relocation move is not a first. 

Experts said elephants need a lot of water to drink and bathe in. Conventionally, elephants are given a bath before they are led to the forest for grazing. Forest officials said elephants don't have enough water to drink, forget bathing, dismissing objections raised by some activists to the move to relocate animals during the summer months. 

Three elephants — Jaiprakash, Kanti and Chaitra — have been kept back at the Bandipur camp to nurse a seven-year-old wild tusker injured in a recent tiger attack. 

Kantharaju said efforts were on to fill the dried-up waterholes and tanks to check the wild animals from migrating or dying due to thirst. They are filling water into the tanks by spreading out a bed of odorless plastic sheets and then pumping in water. Otherwise, water gets percolated or evaporated within days.

~M. B. Maramkal
The Times of India
March 11, 2013

Go make a difference!