CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -The Odisha forest department will fit radio collars on seven elephants in the state in a bid to track and prevent them from entering human settlements.

Detailed explanation-2: -They weigh roughly 8 kg and are fitted around the elephant’s neck. According to a WWF blog, collaring includes identifying a suitable candidate (generally an adult elephant), darting it with a sedative, and fitting a collar around the elephant’s neck, before the animal is revived.

Detailed explanation-3: -Ecologists and conservationists use radio-collars for different purposes: animal movement monitoring, home range, productivity, population estimation, behaviour, habitat use, survival, and predator-prey interaction, among others.

Detailed explanation-4: -By collaring to track the elephants’ movement and gaining an understanding of where they have been and where they are going, members of the WWF Elephant Conservation Unit and their partners are able to develop strategies to reduce potential conflicts.

Detailed explanation-5: -What is a radio collar? A radio collar is a wide band of machine-belting fitted with a small radio transmitter and battery. The transmitter emits a signal at a specific frequency that can be tracked from up to 5 kms away.