MP forest dept to use low-altitude helicopters to herd crop-raiding wildlife away from farmlands

The Print

06-05-2025

Once inside, the animals will be relocated to wildlife sanctuaries and national parks across Madhya Pradesh.
The initiative, developed with assistance from South African wildlife experts, will see a lightweight Robinson helicopter fly low over farmlands in Shajapur and Agar Malwa, driving the animals into designated funnel-shaped enclosures that lead to specially designed cages mounted on trucks.
Bhopal: In a first-of-its-kind move in India, forest officials in Madhya Pradesh are preparing to deploy a lightweight and low-altitude flying helicopter to help relocate herds of antelope and blackbuck that have been damaging crops across western districts of the state.
After nearly two years of delays, the Madhya Pradesh forest department received the go-ahead on Monday to rent the Robinson helicopter for 50 hours.
With final approval from the aviation department, forest officials are now preparing to implement the operation.
'We have received approval from the aviation department, but it will not be possible to carry out the operation in May as the temperature is too high. We are now working to carry out the work in October,' said L. Krishnamurthy, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (APCCF) Wildlife.
'It is the first time that such an exercise is being carried out. We will be carrying out the herbivores with assistance from South African experts.'
Farmers guard crops at night
According to forest officials, the move follows increasing complaints of animals raiding fields across western Madhya Pradesh.
Farmers said they spent their nights in the fields, taking turns to guard their crops armed with torch lights and sticks.
Gyaan Singh Gurjar, a farmer in Setkhedi village, has twice submitted written appeals to the administration over the past year, through the RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, urging protection for farmers and their crops from crop-raiding herbivores.
'Our yields have dropped by almost 30 percent, with instances of Nilgai and blackbucks stomping our fields every night only increasing. They come in large herds and squat on the crops, be it wheat or pulses. The extent of damage is such that crops can neither be salvaged by cutting manually nor with machines,' said Gurjar.
Mukesh Patidar, the district in-charge for the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, said the instances of crop raiding have dramatically increased, putting desperate farmers in direct conflict with these herbivores.
'The forest department has brought in some specialised cages, but for the past few months, they have been lying simply catching dust,' explained Patidar.
Forest officials acknowledge the challenge posed by the galloping antelopes.
'During one discussion with experts from South Africa in Kuno National Park, we learnt of their method of catching them using helicopters and specialised fences. They agreed to assist us and we looked at it as a training for our staff who can then carry out similar operations themselves,' said a senior forest official requesting anonymity.
A team of 10 experts, led by Kester Vickery, co-founder of Conservation Solutions, has been roped in to help the Madhya Pradesh government relocate antelopes and blackbucks.
The decision was made in January 2024, but over the past 18 months, the forest department faced delays in renting a helicopter.
'In 2024, the tendering process was first affected owing to the Lok Sabha elections, with many helicopters remaining unavailable. After this, another tender had to be cancelled, before the aviation department was tasked to assist the forest officials,' said the officer quoted above.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)