Guwahati, 9 July

Human-elephant conflicts in Assam have claimed over 1,400 lives during 2000-2023, while 1,209 pachyderms died in the state during the same period with majority 626 fatalities due to anthropogenic activities, a Wildlife Institute of India (WII) report has said.

Electrocution emerged as the leading cause of human-induced mortality, accounting for 209 elephant deaths during the 23-year period, the report released recently said.

The other major causes of unnatural death of pachyderms over the period were accidental deaths (127), various other anthropogenic stressors (97), train collisions (67), poaching (55), poisoning (62), retaliatory killings (5) and vehicle collisions (4).

Of the 583 fatalities due to natural causes, 'natural deaths' accounted for the maximum number of elephant deaths at 344 which includes old age, heart attacks and stillbirths, drowning, struck by lightning, falling from hills, etc.

Territorial fights accounted for 81 deaths, and unknown factors resulting from natural causes led to 158 deaths between 2000-23, the report said.

Division-wise, the highest number of elephant fatalities were from Nagaon Territorial, Sonitpur West, Dhanasiri and Karbi Anglong East.

Adult males, the ecological keystones of elephant population, are the most affected by anthropogenic factors, particularly electrocution and retaliatory killings.

This can threaten the long-term stability of elephant populations in the area, as males play a crucial role in social structures, gene flow and maintaining healthy herd dynamics, the report noted.

The expansion of railway tracks and poorly maintained power lines, illegal use of electricity from distribution lines for fencing have contributed significantly to elephant deaths, it added.

During the same period of 2000 to 2023, 1,806 human-elephant conflict incidents were recorded in the state, including 1,468 deaths and 337 injuries, the report said.

The division-wise analysis revealed that Sonitpur West (110 deaths, 92 injuries) recorded the highest number of incidents, followed by Goalpara (175 deaths), Udalguri (168 deaths, 34 injuries), Sonitpur East (156 deaths, 21 injuries), and Golaghat (110 deaths, 92 injuries).

Over the years, 527 villages were affected by human-elephant conflict, with Goalpara reporting the maximum number of impacted villages (80), followed by Sonitpur West (53), Sonitpur East (51), and Udalguri (39).

The seasonal distribution of incidents revealed the highest number of cases during the monsoon season. Incidents involving male victims were significantly higher across all seasons, the report said.

To minimise elephant mortality, the report underscored the urgent need for holistic conservation strategies that integrate habitat restoration, conflict mitigation and infrastructure modification.

Strengthening human-elephant coexistence through community engagement, habitat connectivity restoration and improved policy interventions are essential to ensuring the long-term survival of elephant populations in the region.

Collaborative efforts among Forest departments, training officials in advanced technologies, regular training programmes for railways and forest department officials on emerging technologies will improve response efficiency and coordination, the report said.