Rapid response teams to counter wild elephants in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the wake of increasing incidents of wild elephants straying into human settlements in forest fringe areas, Kerala government has set up eight Rapid Response Teams (RST) to undertake urgent steps to check the menace.

Each RST has started functioning in Wayanad, Kannur, Palakkad, Nilambur, Ranni, Kozhikode, Mannarkad and Peppara, state forests minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan told the assembly today during question hour.

Work was in progress for constituting an elephant squad each at Wayanad and Nilambur, he said.

Besides this, a slew of measures such as solar fence, trenches and anti-elephant walls have also been put in place as part of programmes to counter the threat from wild elephants, he added.