COIMBATORE: With elephants venturing out of forests (in Coimbatore division) and straying into human settlements in search of food and water a whopping 14,962 times since 2021, according to a study, it has set the alarm bells ringing among the forest officials to mitigate the potential human-wildlife conflict.
According to the study done by scientists of Asian Elephant Conservation Research and Conflict Management Centre, Coimbatore, the highest number of such intrusions into human habitats and farmlands in the last four years was 5,146 times in 2024.
The results of the study were disclosed to the media on Friday at an event organised to mark the International Forest Day 2025. The centre aims to protect the endangered Asian elephant population while mitigating the challenges faced by the local communities living in high-conflict areas.
According to the study, females along with calves and lone male elephants strayed out of forests more than male groups, female groups in 2024. “A total of 68 humans and 40 livestock were killed and 166 were injured due to wild elephant and leopard attacks between April 2021 and October 2024. The forest department sanctioned Rs 8.44 crore as compensation to the victims during the period. Out of the Rs 8.44 crore, Rs 4.69 crore was for 3,275 crop damage incidents and Rs 14L was for 177 property damage,” said M Naveen, a scientist.
“After understanding the human-elephant conflict, we are in the process of developing an action plan for high-conflict areas. We are providing training to forest department staff and educating the people. We will address human-elephant conflict through scientific research, data collection, capacity building and community engagement,” he said.
Assistant conservator of forest, Coimbatore forest division, G Vijayakumar, said the division is witnessing high conflict due to its steep terrain. Unable to traverse the steep terrain, elephants are moving out through forest boundaries attracted to crops like banana, coconut, etc. An elephant requires 250 kg of fodder and 200 to 250 litres of water every day. Elephants are moving into agricultural fields as the crop pattern has changed in the last 20 years, he said.
Peter Prem Chakravarthy, another scientist said, “Out of the 170 ideas, 20 best solutions have been selected. This will further be filtered to three and implemented on a trial basis in high-conflict areas through CSR initiative.”