An aquatic weed native to some countries in Central and South America, including Peru, is threatening elephant habitats and foraging areas in Valparai.
- Valparai is a hill station in Tamil Nadu close to the Kerala border.
- Ludwigia peruviana grows fast along water bodies. It was probably introduced as an ornamental plant for its tiny yellow flowers.
- It has infested the majority of the hill station’s swamps, locally known as vayals, where elephants used to find lush grass even in the summer.
- The Forest Department says that most of these swamps are located in private estates, which are responsible for the tricky process of removing the weed.
- The rapid large-scale spread of the weed has shaken the balance of these perennial foraging grounds, limiting the growth of grass and native plants that are palatable to elephants and other animals including gaur.
