COIMBATORE: More than 110 people have died in human-elephant conflict incidents in the Coimbatore Forest Division over the past 11 years, with nearly 80 of the deaths reported outside forest areas and in villages located along forest fringes.
Of the victims, 86 per cent were men. Most of the incidents were reported during the night and early morning hours, according to sources in the forest department.
Thadagam Valley, Boluvampatti Valley, Periyanaickenpalayam, the Kallar-Mettupalayam elephant corridor and Sirumugai are among the major conflict-prone areas in the division, sources said.
N I Jalaluddin, president of the Nature Conservation Society (NCS), said that more than 160 wild elephants had also died across the seven forest ranges of the division during the same 11-year period.
He pointed out that the elephant population in the region had been increasing, with an estimated 2,961 elephants in 2023, 3,063 in 2024 and 3,170 during the 2025 census.
"With the increase in the elephant population, the available space for both humans and elephants is becoming increasingly limited," he said.
Stressing the need for a long-term solution to prevent human-elephant conflict, Jalaluddin called for protecting elephant habitats and ensuring that the animals remain within forest areas.
"An AI-based camera system to detect elephant movements is already in place. The Tamil Nadu Forest Department should develop an integrated system incorporating GPS tracking of elephants, a forest control room, movement alerts to farmers and villagers, and rapid response teams," he said.
He also suggested that farmers adopt crop patterns that are less attractive to elephants and strengthen protection for agricultural lands through solar-powered and community fencing systems.
Responding to this, a senior forest department official said that night patrol teams had been deployed to drive away elephants entering human habitations.
"We have been conducting frequent awareness programmes on human-elephant conflict and regularly sharing information about elephant movements through WhatsApp groups. However, such incidents occur unexpectedly, making it difficult for the department to prevent them," the official added.