Lack of rain leads to wild elephants camping in human habitations in Kerala’s Munnar

Lack of rainfall is disrupting local wildlife in Munnar region. According to Forest department officials, poor monsoon rains in the hill station have led to wild elephants straying into human settlements in search of food and water.

The elephants typically retreat deep into the forest once the monsoon intensifies. However, this year, the herds have stayed near human habitations due to a scarcity of food and water deeper in the woods, said a senior forest official.

“In addition, the grass in the grasslands has become unpalatable for the elephants, driving them to set up camp on tea plantations. Most of Munnar’s tea estates border shola forests, and the availability of food across both ecosystems is keeping the elephants in the region,” the official said.

In tea plantations

Munnar Range Officer S. Biju confirmed the continued presence of wild elephants near residential areas. “The elephants have also crossed over from the Mankulam forests into the Munnar forest division, taking up residence on tea plantations and refusing to return to their original habitats. Normally, they would have retreated into the deep forest during the monsoon,” he said.

Among them is a well-known wild tusker, locally named ‘Padayappa’, who has been roaming the Silent Valley estate near Munnar for the past two months. The tusker recently destroyed a shop in Silent Valley, causing damage estimated at over ₹1.5 lakh. Plantation workers said that the animal is showing no signs of leaving the area.

Data from the United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI) Tea Research Foundation in Munnar confirms the drastic drop in rainfall. “From June 1 to June 30, Munnar received just 50.60 cm of rainfall, compared to 137.69 cm during the same period last year. Between July 1 and July 23, only 39.96 cm rainfall was received, down from 71.30 cm last year. Overall, from January to June 2026, the hill station recorded 82.32 cm of rainfall—a massive 72% deficit compared to the 270.89 cm recorded in the same period last year,” according to the data.

Officials warned that if dry conditions continue, declining food and water supplies inside the forest will force even more wild animals to wander into human settlements.