Foresters are looking at bees to keep elephants away from human habitats.
The Jalpaiguri forest division has taken up an initiative to prevent elephants from straying into the villages on the fringes of the reserve forests as well as create an alternative source of income for the villagers, especially women.
“We are encouraging apiculture (beekeeping) in these villages and providing training to the villagers. Research has revealed that elephants despise bees and avoid areas with beehives. That is why we want beekeeping in the villages as it would deter elephants from entering human habitats,” said Vikash V., the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Jalpaiguri forest division.
Earlier, another initiative was taken by the Northeast Frontier Railway authorities on similar lines.
Buzzers, which release sounds that replicate the buzzing of bees, were installed in some stretches of the railway track along the Dooars (Siliguri Junction-Alipurduar Junction) route to stop elephants from crossing tracks when there are trains nearby.
Sources said that the Elephant Safe Society, a social organisation, has been engaged by the forest division to train the villagers. As of now, members of six joint forest management committees under the Lataguri forest range are taking training to
learn beekeeping.
“These members are from such villages which are in the fringes of the Gorumara National Park. So far, we have distributed around 1,000 beekeeping boxes among villagers so that once they finish the training, they can start beekeeping,” said a forester.
The DFO said that through apiculture, the villagers not only would manage to keep elephants away from their homes and farms, but could earn money as well.
“They are being trained to collect honey from beehives, which would grow in the boxes provided to them. In turn, they can sell the honey, and the forest department will also help them merchandise their produce,” the forester added.
In north Bengal, elephant depredation is frequent. The animals often enter villages in search of food. Such depredation cause people lose lives, homes and crops. On some occasions, elephants die or get injured.
“Beekeeping to keep elephants away is a nature-friendly initiative. We hope villagers will take up beekeeping seriously to mitigate elephant depredation,” said Animesh Bose, a wildlife conservationist in Siliguri.