Kerala’s Herbivorous Elephants Are Now Leaning Towards A Non-Veg Diet Of Chicken Curry & Parotta

In a surprising turn of events, elephants, a herbivorous species, in Kerala, have taken a fancy to a non-vegetarian diet. For years, pachyderms in Kerala have followed a vegetarian diet of bamboo, grass, leaves and crops. However, recently, there has been an increasing trend in elephants consuming non-vegetarian food, including chicken curry and egg masala. Read on to know the concerning reason and its possible consequences.

Elephants In Kerala Have Started Munching On Non-Veg Restaurant Leftovers

A report by The New Indian Express sheds light on an alarming trend of elephants in Kerala increasingly leaning towards a non-veg diet. Giving their herbivorous taste buds a break, the mammals have developed an appetite for restaurant leftovers. Many restaurants located near forest fringes have been discarding food waste near the forests.

With a steady supply of chicken curry, egg curry, Kerala parotta and chapati available, elephants have slowly developed a liking for restaurant leftovers. With the animals even giving their vegetarian preferences a miss for their newfound love for salty, meaty preparations. Raman, belonging to Allimooppan tribal settlement in the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, spoke about this issue to The New Indian Express.

Raman shares that the open and rampant dumping of food is posing a major health risk to the elephants. Moreover, it’s also increasing the human-wildlife conflict. The man informed that wild animals have an appetite for salty food. Raju K Francis, who researches human-wildlife conflict, stated to TNIE that wild pigs, monkeys, deer, and elephants in Kerala are increasingly consuming food waste.

Also Read: 6 Wildlife Sanctuaries In India To Spot Elephants In Their Natural Habitat | Curly Tales

Wild Animals Have An Appetite For Salty Food

Often dumped in areas bordering forests in Kerala, the food waste is alluring for wild animals. The salt in packaged chips is a bait for wild animals who hungrily devour even pieces of plastic. This ends up blocking their digestive tracts and could result in their death as well.

Raju K Francis even informed TNIE about spotting youngsters feeding potato chips to monkeys. Over time, monkeys in Kerala sitting at tourist spots have found a liking for chips and crisps. That’s the reason tourists have been advised by the forest department to throw plastic food packages safely and responsibly and avoid littering the spots.

Also Read: 6 Main Differences Between Asian & African Elephants

We hope the forest department and the government’s endeavours to prevent the irresponsible disposal of food waste near forest fringes will be successful.

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Pro/ Udayan Borthakur and Prabal Pratap Singh