People visiting the Valparai plateau, known for its mosaic landscape of estates interspersed with forest patches, now have a better chance to witness a glimpse of human-wildlife coexistence -- women plucking tea leaves as elephants forage a stone's throw away.

According to officials with the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), the annual migration of elephants to the hill station from the contiguous forests of the Kerala side started as usual in September. Five visiting herds comprising 35 elephants were found grazing in forest patches and estates of Valparai and Manambolly forest ranges of ATR as of the fourth week of October. Their numbers normally cross 100 as migration peaks in January and February. The return of elephants from the plateau continues till March.

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ATR authorities have stepped up vigil to avoid negative interactions between humans and elephants as these free ranging mammals use estates and forest patches alternatively.

Valparai Forest Range Officer Suresh Krishna said anti-depredation squads comprising 16 persons are engaged in night patrols. The staff make calls to at least 150 people from different locations in the range every day to check about the presence of elephants.

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"Mobile numbers of the staff have also been circulated among residents and estate workers so that they can alert on elephant movement. Estate managements have been instructed to arrange vehicles for employees working in night shifts," he said.

Vigil in Valparai range was heightened after a wild elephant trampled a 55-year-old woman and her three-year-old granddaughter to death in Water Fall estate on October 13. The elephant attacked them when they came out of their quarters, after the animal knocked on a window.

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The department has been making regular appeals to residents and estate workers to avoid coming out of their residences at night and travelling alone after sunset. Two women lost their lives in elephant attacks in January and May this year, when they came out of houses at night, after coming to know about the presence of elephants.

Manambolly Forest Range Officer K. Giritharan said three visiting herds comprising 23 elephants were present in the range.

Around 20 dedicated field staff work at night to drive out elephants, wherever necessary. Officials added that information on the presence of elephants in the two ranges are also updated on the WhatsApp group 'Thadam', which has Forest Department staff, residents, people from estate managements, estate workers and representatives from local bodies as members.

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The two ranges are also having 1,300 solar-powered infrared devices of the 'smart virtual fencing system' introduced by the department in 2024, which generate alarm by detecting movement of elephants.

The Nature Conservation Foundation also operates an early warning system in Valparai plateau, which started as alerts on local cable TV networks in 2007 and later upgraded to SMS alerts and warning lights at multiple locations.

Valparai braces for smooth migration of elephants