Roadkill on two national highways near Thuvarankurichi forest on the rise

A caution board installed along Tiruchi-Madurai National Highway at Thuvarankurichi to alert road users about it being a wild animals crossing area.
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Special Arrangement

Sporadic incidents of wild animals getting knocked down by vehicles along the Tiruchi – Madurai and the Thuvarankurichi-Natham national highway stretches near Thuvarankurichi has prompted the Forest Department to install caution signboards at select locations along the two stretches to alert road users of “wild animals crossing the area” and to drive slowly at those spots.

The recent roadkill was reported in the late hours on Wednesday when an adult gaur was killed in a road accident after being hit by a sports utility vehicle on the Thuvarankurichi-Natham national highway near Thuvarankurichi. The female gaur is said to have suddenly crossed the road at the time of accident. It is suspected to be from the Velamalai reserve forest situated a few kilometres away.  Weighing nearly 1.5 tonnes, the huge animal was buried inside the nearby reserve forest after an autopsy. 

This is the fifth roadkill on the two highway stretches reported in the jurisdiction of the Thuvarankurichi forest range this year. Deaths of three wild animals were reported on the Tiruchi-Madurai national highway and two others along the Thuvarankurichi-Natham highway stretch, a Forest Department official said. Animals which were killed on these highway stretches were gaur and spotted deer.

The Thuvarankurichi forest range in Tiruchi district has a significant presence of gaur in the 11 reserve forests which are surrounded by hills.  It is believed that these reserve forests are a home to around 400 gaurs besides spotted deer, monkeys, rock pythons, and peacocks. The reserve forests include Thachamalai, Velamalai, Karumalai, and Periamalai. 

Gaur is found in the neighbouring Manapparai forest range in Tiruchi district as well as in the reserve forest areas in the adjoining Dindigul district. “The gaur keeps moving from Thuvarankurichi to neighbouring Dindigul district and back via Manapparai forest range, especially during night in search of food and water when such roadkills occur. Portions of the Tiruchi-Madurai and Thuvarankurichi-Natham highway fall under the Thuvarankurichi forest range”, the official said. The Forest Department has constructed water troughs in the reserve forests of Thuvarankurichi range to quench the thirst of wild animals and birds.

Signboards

Concerned over sporadic roadkill, the Forest Department has installed reflective caution boards at eight locations along the Tiruchi-Madurai national highway at Thuvarankurichi and nearby spots and two boards along the Thuvarankurichi-Natham highway stretch.

The boards have been installed to alert road users about the “wild animals crossing area” and to “drive slowly” mentioning the speed limit of 40 kmph at the spots. They have been put up a few metres away from the highway stretches after obtaining permission from the National Highways Authority of India.

They have been put up on both sides of the highways at locations including Lanjamedu, Thuvarankurichi, Sevanthanpatti, and V. Kaikatti, the official said and added that road users should reduce the speed of their vehicles upon reaching such locations. Camera traps have been placed near the water troughs inside the Thachamalai and Velamalai reserve forests to monitor the movement of Gaur, the official said.