Mysuru: If it is an adventurous-cum-thrilling experience for a tourist who is viewing the city from a helicopter, the sound created by the chopper is disturbing the Dasara elephants that are housed at the Mysore Palace campus that too when the machine, with roaring sound, flies above them more than 20 times a day.
The helicopter rides – Dasara Helicopter Joyride – have been launched by the District Administration in collaboration with private flight operators. There are two helicopters ferrying people around the city above important landmarks from 9 am to 5 pm and on an average, they cover 20 to 30 trips every day.
Though the choppers have been asked to fly above 1,000 ft., in their enthusiasm to provide a closer view of the city landmarks, pilots fly the machine much below the prescribed level and touch 700 to 750 ft. This is constantly disturbing the elephants that are very sensitive to sounds.
Observing the strange behaviour of elephants, Mahouts and Forest Department Veterinarian Dr. D.N. Nagaraj have brought the issue to the notice of Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) V. Yedukondalu.
Yedukondalu told Star of Mysore that he had received reports of unsettling behaviour of elephants when the chopper flies above them. “Following this, I alerted Mysore Airport Director Manoj Kumar Singh who in turn directed the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) to ask the pilots not to fly too low. The helicopter sorties are operated in coordination with the ATC,” he said.
Among the wild animals, elephants are sensitive towards sound and they have a sharp hearing and sense of smell. Helicopters that fly above their location can be as frighteningly loud as an elephant stampede.
“Elephants have to be accustomed to sounds when they come to city for Dasara and that is the reason why we rehearse for more than a month and also familiarise them to the sounds of cannons multiple times. Helicopter sound is risky especially on the procession day. Once the elephants panic, it is difficult to control them,” he added.
Providing an instance of the elephants’ sensitivity to sound, Yedukondalu said that often, the Forest Department uses drones to monitor forest fires and to count animals in the core areas of inaccessible jungles.
“When we operate drones above forest areas, elephants become a scared lot and they run helter-skelter. If the sound of drones can cause havoc, imagine what helicopter sound could do,” he said.
Veterinarian Dr. D.N. Nagaraj recalls an incident when in 2008 it was decided to shower flowers from a helicopter on the Howdah Elephant as he carries the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari and comes before the Chief Minister for him to offer prayers just before the procession began.
“We decided to do a rehearsal of this feat and just a day before the procession, as Balarama, the then Howdah Elephant, moved near the dais a helicopter hovered above and showered flowers. As the chopper approached, Balarama that was not familiar with the sound panicked and ran from the place. We had a tough time in controlling him,” a concerned Dr. Nagaraj explained.
Helicopters produce infra sounds below 20 Hz due to doppler shift as they circle around . Although we do not hear these infra sounds, elephants can hear them quite well and hence the panic. Elephants can also produce infra sounds and hence when they communicate with each other at such low frequencies through large distances, we do not get to know what they are up to. I suggest that from next Dasara they should install spectrum analyzers with special microphones capable of measuring frequencies below 20 Hz and ensure quietness from the perspective of an elephant that is different from humans. In addition, we can also try to decipher what they are trying to tell each other at such a faint pitch that we cannot hear!