(10 times hotter than Red Savina Habanero!)
Posted on 11/13/2007 2:15:54 PM PST by milestogo
ELECTRIC FENCING has hardly proved a shocker for Assam’s marauding elephants, so authorities have turned to a cheaper — and hotter — option. They are erecting rope fences dipped in chilli powder around paddy fields and plantations to reduce man-elephant conflicts.
The state Forest Department, in collaboration with WWF-India, has begun ‘hot fencing’ using Bhot Jolokia in Balipara area of Sonitpur district. Bhot is the local term for anything of Bhutanese origin and Jolokia is the world’s hottest chilli measuring 1,001,304 Scoville heat units — nearly twice as hot as the Red Savina
pepper it replaced in the record books in February.
“We have begun work on this chilli-smeared rope fencing,” Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain told the Assembly on Tuesday. “These chillies are too hot even for the elephants, and we are banking on the success of this experiment to check man-animal conflicts.”
Assam’s elephant problem dominated the Zero Hour with Congress MLA Rajib Lochan Pegu highlighting frequent jumbo raids on Majuli, the world’s largest inhabited river island.
“Man-elephant conflict has taken a serious turn because of large-scale encroachment on elephant corridors,” Hussain admitted. He said officials were trying their best to handle the situation. “The problem is beyond conventional control. We have sought help from international experts, but the onus is on each MLA to remove encroachment from elephant corridors.”
Many of Assam’s legislators are accused of settling tribals and migrants on forestland and animal corridors for “territorial gains”.
Suggestions from legislators included domestication and adoption of elephants by tea gardens. This, Hussain reminded, can only be done if the
Centre okays Assam’s elephant capturing proposal.
The Northeast has the world’s largest concentration of wild Asiatic elephants with Assam accounting for 5,246 of them (2002 census), down from 5,312 in 1997. Besides, the state has some 1,600 domesticated elephants, most of them “jobless” following a Supreme Court ban on felling. Since 2001, some 240 people and 268 pachyderms have been killed in man-elephant conflicts across Assam.
Animals eventually acquire a taste for hot chili. They will like it.
Possibly the worst job on the planet.
Bhot Jolokia fence installer on the outside of the fence. With herds of marauding elephants heading straight for you. I’d rather get trampled to death than run head first into a fence covered in Bhot Jolokia.
Does Anthony Bordain know about this?
I wouldn’t want to be around after an elephant got a snootful of that - sounds like instant stampede to me.
I thought from the title this was going to be about a BBQ.
I’ve got to get ahold of some of these beauties. They look yummy.
I don’t have a lot of experience feeding chili to elephants. Ravens and squirrels seem surprised the first time they taste it, but they come back and eventually prefer the taste.
My best friend would eat that rope!
Elephants will drive their young through a barrier to knock it down, such as an electric fence. I’ll be surprised if this idea works.
Hmm... What is the shelf life of chilli pepper powder, especially when it’s exposed to rain and the other elements?
Can’t imagine this can work. The pepper powder will start losing its potency and deterrence effect immediately, the moment it’s put outside.
Thanks very much for your post! I will order some of these pepper seeds from Ebay before the growing season next year!!! YUM!
LOL
Talk about “Death from WIthin”. Holy cow!
Elephants are notorious for finding the stash of beer and drinking it all and getting rowdy. They are natural lushes. Those who like the peppers may have found that it produces a buzz when ingested in sufficient quantity. Elephants will learn this if they do not already know and will get past the pain and eat all the peppers and stomp the entire village into mush and enjoy it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.