Participants learn ways to avoid confrontation with animals
A three-day residential workshop on coexistence with elephants for master trainers began here on Friday.
It is being conducted by the Zoo Outreach Organisation, Coimbatore in association with SWORD, a local non-governmental organisation in Krishnagiri.
Over 45 members of NGOs, staff and self-help group leaders including 15 women are taking part in the programme.
Dr. B.A. Daniel, Conservation Educator, Zoo Outreach Organisation, Coimbatore was the resource person for the workshop.
He told The Hindu that this workshop was the first of its kind being held in the district.
The training programme had been necessitated due to the increasing incidents of human-elephant conflict reported in many parts of the nation.
To address the issue, the Zoo Outreach Organisation (ZOO) decided to take the emphasis off “mechanistic solutions for conflict” and put it on coexistence.
It was true that there was no permanent or all-encompassing solution to Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) due to its complexity and variety but that the approach of ZOO would be through an age-old and imperfect method, coexistence.
He said that the coexistence is not a new method of living with elephants; people have been doing it for centuries.
People have to rely too much on the government to come to their rescue like chasing away the animal or shooting down psychotic rogues, offering advice and paying compensation, but they would not be able to bring a human breadwinner back to life or restore a permanently damaged body or mind.
Keeping all these in mind, the ZOOs approach is to teach methods of learning ways to avoid confrontation and promote self protection, be willing to exchange some old habits and beliefs for survival and thus reduce the incidence of injury and death due to Human-Elephant Conflict.
Hence, it is the need of the hour to teach the people to get along with the elephants and salvage property and crops. Primary purpose of the training was mitigation, and reduction of incidents of death or injury.
The master trainers are trained to encourage thinking about these teaching tools, not just for elephants, but for other species and issues as well. They should spread the message they have learnt in the workshop and try to mitigate the sufferings of the farmers, Dr. Daniel said.
The training programme was sponsored by US Fish and Wildlife Service, he said.
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/workshop-offers-tips-and-tricks-on-peaceful-coexistence-with-elephants/article4616223.ece
- Over 45 members of non-governmental organisations and self-help groups participate
- People have been practicing for centuries, methods of avoiding conflicts with elephants
- Primary purpose of training is reducing incidents leading to death or injury
 |
| Friends of the gentle giants:Master trainers wear elephant masks during a workshop on coexistence with elephants, in Krishnagiri on Friday. - Photo: N. Bashkaran |
It is being conducted by the Zoo Outreach Organisation, Coimbatore in association with SWORD, a local non-governmental organisation in Krishnagiri.
Over 45 members of NGOs, staff and self-help group leaders including 15 women are taking part in the programme.
Dr. B.A. Daniel, Conservation Educator, Zoo Outreach Organisation, Coimbatore was the resource person for the workshop.
He told The Hindu that this workshop was the first of its kind being held in the district.
The training programme had been necessitated due to the increasing incidents of human-elephant conflict reported in many parts of the nation.
To address the issue, the Zoo Outreach Organisation (ZOO) decided to take the emphasis off “mechanistic solutions for conflict” and put it on coexistence.
It was true that there was no permanent or all-encompassing solution to Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) due to its complexity and variety but that the approach of ZOO would be through an age-old and imperfect method, coexistence.
He said that the coexistence is not a new method of living with elephants; people have been doing it for centuries.
People have to rely too much on the government to come to their rescue like chasing away the animal or shooting down psychotic rogues, offering advice and paying compensation, but they would not be able to bring a human breadwinner back to life or restore a permanently damaged body or mind.
Keeping all these in mind, the ZOOs approach is to teach methods of learning ways to avoid confrontation and promote self protection, be willing to exchange some old habits and beliefs for survival and thus reduce the incidence of injury and death due to Human-Elephant Conflict.
Hence, it is the need of the hour to teach the people to get along with the elephants and salvage property and crops. Primary purpose of the training was mitigation, and reduction of incidents of death or injury.
The master trainers are trained to encourage thinking about these teaching tools, not just for elephants, but for other species and issues as well. They should spread the message they have learnt in the workshop and try to mitigate the sufferings of the farmers, Dr. Daniel said.
The training programme was sponsored by US Fish and Wildlife Service, he said.
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/workshop-offers-tips-and-tricks-on-peaceful-coexistence-with-elephants/article4616223.ece
