No hunting policy threatens Andamans as 'invasive' elephants harm vegetation

By  Savita Verma
10 August 2013
Mail Online, India

A no hunting policy is proving to be a major cause of ecological as well as economic damage to a number of areas in India. The latest region facing the threat is the pristine Andaman Islands.
Remote sensing images have shown a drastic loss of vegetation cover over Andaman Islands, thanks to invasive species such as elephants and deer.
India is one of the few countries in the world which has no policy on invasive species. By definition, these are the animals or plants which are introduced accidentally to a place where they are not found and cause economic and environmental damage.

Remote sensing images have shown a drastic loss of vegetation
cover over the Andaman Islands

 "Because of the country-wide ban on hunting, the problem has become much bigger," Dr Rauf Ali, Foundation for Ecological Research, Advocacy and Learning, Puducherry, said.

Ali, along with other scientists from his institute and Juniata College, Pennsylvania has carried out a research at four sites on Andaman Islands - Little Andaman, Interview Island, MG Marine Park and Jarawa Reserve.
Scientists analysed changes across the sites which have different combinations of chital and elephants which have been introduced in the islands. Satellite images showed that Little Andaman, with none of these animals, had the least degradation while Interview Island, with both the species, had the maximum degradation.
MG Marine Park and Jarawa Reserve, with only chital, have been degraded more than Little Andaman but less than Interview Island.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2389074/No-hunting-policy-threatens-Andamans-invasive-elephants-harm-vegetation.html#ixzz2c5w4WnMM
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