Four individuals employed at a private resort situated within the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) have been apprehended and remanded to judicial custody on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, for providing sustenance to a wild elephant, allegedly as a means of entertainment for resort visitors.
Identified as R. Anirudh Avasthi, M. Dhirav Kumar Rang, S. K. Ajmavullah, and S. David Riyang, the quartet was employed at Avadale, a private resort operating within the Singara Forest Range in Masinagudi. Acting on a tip-off regarding the feeding of wild elephants by resort staff, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department initiated an investigation.
A thorough examination of Closed Circuit Television Camera (CCTV) footage and videos captured by the individuals on their mobile phones revealed irrefutable evidence of their involvement in feeding wild elephants. Subsequently, they were apprehended and presented before a judge, who remanded them to judicial custody.
P. Arunkumar, Deputy Director of MTR (Buffer Zone), emphasized the potential risks associated with feeding wild animals, including increased negative interactions between humans and wildlife, as well as fundamental alterations in animal behavior. He cited instances of wild elephants in the region becoming habituated to human presence and losing their natural fear due to feeding by resort owners, such as the elephants known as ‘Rivaldo’ and ‘Ronaldo’. The latter, tragically, succumbed to severe burn injuries inflicted by an illegal resort owner who hurled a fireball at the animal a few years prior.
Mr. Arunkumar expressed concern that providing sustenance to elephants and other wildlife diminishes their fear of humans, causing them to venture closer to human settlements in search of food. It is suspected that the elephant observed in one of the videos being fed by Avadale resort employees exhibited signs of reliance on humans, as it attempted to break into a ration shop in Masinagudi and an inspection bungalow belonging to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board within the past two weeks.
Forest Department officials suspect that the animals were being fed as a means of entertaining tourists at the resort, as the videos were captured in front of an elevated space accessible to guests with a view of the area. Investigation is ongoing, with officials seeking to determine whether the resort owner was aware of or encouraged the feeding of animals by employees. Additionally, they are verifying whether the resort possesses the necessary permissions to operate as a commercial establishment.
The Forest Department has previously investigated several resorts in the region for feeding wild animals, including those accused of providing sustenance to sloth bears and elephants within the MTR buffer zone. However, this marks the first instance of obtaining video evidence of such practices.
