HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT

Key findings: 

• In the three years between 2015-2018, human-elephant conflict caused 1,713 human and 373 elephant deaths by unnatural causes. Damage to houses and crops had been reported in several States. 
  
  
• State’s scenario: 
  • Highest numbers of human casualties had occurred in West Bengal (307 deaths), followed closely by Odisha (305). The fragmented landscape in West Bengal makes it difficult to prevent elephant or human deaths. 
    
    
  • The data does not mention the States with the highest number of elephant-related deaths. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Factors: 
  • Various factors, including habitat disturbance and urbanisation, could be the cause of the alarming rise in unnatural human and animal casualties. 
    
    
  • Elephant Deaths caused by electrocution stood at 226, contributing to 60.6% of deaths since 2015. In comparison, elephant deaths by all other causes, including train accidents, poaching and poisoning, added up to 147. 
    
    
  
  
  

Recommendations/steps: 

• Localised solutions have been recommended to elephant-related problems. Policy should be formed to provide solutions suited to the particular geography. E.g. compact landscapes like ones in the Nilgiris provide little space for interaction between wild elephants and people. 
  
  
• There is a need to increase community participation in the protection of crop lands and elephants. 
  
  
• The Ministry has approved the construction of physical barriers such as barbed wire fences, solar powered electric fences, and bio-fencing using cactus and boundary walls, to prevent the entry of elephants into agricultural land.