By IANS,
Ranchi : Spraying tiger urine and keeping camels as pets are some of the novel methods adopted by villagers in Jharkhand to keep away marauding elephants that destroy crops and kill people when in a fit of rage.
Villagers in Bero block of Ranchi, about 70 km from here, brought two camels to ward off the elephants last week.
“Ever since the arrival of the camels, the elephants have been keeping away. The camels are like angels for us. We no longer fear for our lives and our crops are also safe,” said Yogesh Baitha, a resident of Purnapani village.
Another villager, Shaymapad, said: “We let the camels roam around the village. The elephants dislike the smell of the camels and leave us alone.”
For the past three months, villagers in Silli block of Ranchi have been spraying tiger urine, which they get from the zoological park here, in and around the hamlets to keep the elephants at bay.
According to the forest department, elephants have killed more than 400 people and injured over 700 in the past six years. There are currently 622 elephants in the state.
Last month a rampaging tusker was shot dead by security forces in Bokaro district after it went on a rampage.