Addressing the Rising Man-Elephant Conflict in Assam

Escalating Man-Elephant Conflicts in Assam

Guwahati, May 21: The issue of man-elephant conflict has reached alarming levels in Assam. Officials from the Forest Department believe that the situation could improve significantly if the government follows through on its commitment to remove encroachers from five lakh bighas of forest land, as stated by the Chief Minister.

According to sources within the Forest Department, Assam is home to over 6,000 elephants, and the rising tensions between humans and elephants stem from the severe reduction of their habitat due to forest encroachments. Human activities have invaded critical elephant habitats and migration corridors, exacerbating the conflict.

In the past five years, the government has successfully reclaimed more than one lakh bighas of land from encroachers, leading to a decrease in conflicts in those regions, as elephants have regained their living space.

“Humans are the root cause of this issue; elephants are not to blame. There have been cases where people have thrown stones at elephants, prompting them to react defensively,” the sources explained.

When asked about the criteria for labeling an elephant as a rogue, officials clarified that only those elephants that repeatedly kill are classified as such. Recent incidents of elephant-related fatalities involved different elephants. For example, in Goalpara, a single elephant was accused of multiple killings and was named Laden. However, investigations revealed that a herd of 40 elephants was present in the area, with several involved in the incidents.

To officially designate an elephant as rogue, a detailed report must be compiled regarding its killing history. Previously, rogue elephants were eliminated by licensed hunters, but this practice has been discontinued, and there are currently no licensed hunters in the state. Efforts are now focused on tranquilizing and capturing problematic elephants instead of killing them.

While capturing elephants is generally prohibited, sub-adult elephants can be captured with permission from the Forest Ministry. However, this approach does not address the core issue, which is the need for elephants to have sufficient space to coexist peacefully with humans.

In response to inquiries about the methods used by Forest Department personnel to deter elephants from human settlements, sources indicated that pump-action rubber bullets are primarily employed, aiming to drive elephants away without causing harm. Nonetheless, there have been unfortunate incidents, including fatalities among Forest Department staff while attempting to manage elephant encounters.