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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/elephants/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:34:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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					<title>The insect that syncs up with the football World Cup</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/the-insect-that-syncs-up-with-the-football-world-cup/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/the-insect-that-syncs-up-with-the-football-world-cup/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Jul 2026 14:12:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cicada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[insects]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/14110800/World-Cup-cicada-insect_-scaled-e1784008437972-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=39269</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam and Meghalaya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Elephants, Forests, Insects, Plants, Reserved Forest, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As the football world cup began in the United States, Canada and Mexico this year, in one part of India, an insect emerged, as it does, every four years, in sync with the sporting event. However, this year, it was found beyond its typical home range. Aptly named the World Cup cicada, the insect, Chremistica [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As the football world cup began in the United States, Canada and Mexico this year, in one part of India, an insect emerged, as it does, every four years, in sync with the sporting event. However, this year, it was found beyond its typical home range. Aptly named the World Cup cicada, the insect, Chremistica ribhoi, has been recorded in Meghalaya in Northeast India. This year though it was spotted in the neighbouring state of Assam during a field assessment around the Rani Reserve Forest conducted by wildlife biologist Pulakeswar Basumatary, with Langtuk Terang, Assistant Professor, Pragjyotish College, Mann Kumar Thapa, a research scholar at Royal Global University, M.Sc. student Lakhinandan Dutta and butterfly researcher Rajat Joshi. Basumatary told Mongabay-India, “Until now, Chremistica ribhoi was known only from Saiden village and Lailad, near Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district. The 2026 sighting across the Rani-Garbhanga-Basistha Reserve Forest is the first record of the species in Assam, and a real extension of its known range.” However, while it has been scientifically recorded now, the local communities always knew of the cicada in Assam. “The Rabha community of Satargaon, in the Rani area (of Assam), say they had been seeing this cicada before the year 2000. That&#8217;s earlier than the first scientific record from Meghalaya. The species was almost certainly always here, just undocumented,” said Basumatary. Periodical cicadas are among nature’s most precise timekeepers. Their mass emergence is triggered largely by soil temperature and humidity cues built up over years underground.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/the-insect-that-syncs-up-with-the-football-world-cup/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>As elephants venture to higher altitudes researchers track possibilities of conflict</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/as-elephants-venture-to-higher-altitudes-researchers-track-possibilities-of-conflict/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/as-elephants-venture-to-higher-altitudes-researchers-track-possibilities-of-conflict/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jul 2026 15:55:05 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elephant corridors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elephant Movement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human elephant conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife corridors]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/07/03141812/Picture2_Camera-trap-capture-of-an-elephant-herd-above-3200-m-the-highest-known-altitude-of-elephant-presence.-C-WWF-IndiaArunachal-Pradesh-Forest-Department-e1783069319919-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38962</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity, Camera traps, Conservation, Elephants, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Human Wildlife Conflict, Land Rights, Mammals, Wildlife, Wildlife Protection Act, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Elephants in Arunachal Pradesh may be present at higher elevations than previously thought. According to the new action plan on managing human-elephant conflict in the state, elephant tracks as well as a camera trap image of a juvenile elephant were observed at an altitude of 3,266 metres in the state’s Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, possibly the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Elephants in Arunachal Pradesh may be present at higher elevations than previously thought. According to the new action plan on managing human-elephant conflict in the state, elephant tracks as well as a camera trap image of a juvenile elephant were observed at an altitude of 3,266 metres in the state’s Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, possibly the highest recorded presence of Asian elephants in the world. The highest known record of an elephant (African elephant) is at around 4,000 metres, on Mount Kenya. Elephants in Arunachal Pradesh were previously known to be present primarily in the lower reaches and Himalayan foothills occasionally moving up to an altitude of 2,000 meters. However, this assessment found their presence at altitudes going up to 3,266 metres. The new action plan, released in May 2026, was jointly developed by the Arunachal Pradesh Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and WWF-India, to address human-elephant conflict in the state, threats to habitats and analyse whether elephant corridors are well-protected. Data was collected between December 2024 and March 2026. Officials examined elephant habitats where conflict was reported, and where crop or property damage had occurred. Why the altitude record matters According to Aritra Kshettry, who works with WWF-India’s Elephant Conservation Programme (ECP), elephants are not typically found at such high altitudes. The records of elephants at these altitudes gives clues about their movement outside of protected areas which helps predict potential interactions between elephants and humans. According to the action plan, elephant presence and crop damage have been&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/as-elephants-venture-to-higher-altitudes-researchers-track-possibilities-of-conflict/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/07/as-elephants-venture-to-higher-altitudes-researchers-track-possibilities-of-conflict/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Tuskers form all-male groups in the wild, finds study</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/tuskers-form-all-male-groups-in-the-wild-finds-study/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/tuskers-form-all-male-groups-in-the-wild-finds-study/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 May 2026 13:56:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elephant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elephant Movement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wild elephants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife monitoring]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/29120104/Males-are-regularly-seen-forming-groups-and-where-and-when-they-do-this-is-not-random.-Photo-Credit-Abhimanyu-Madhusudanan-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38430</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Uttarakhand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Elephants, Mammals, Protected Areas, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Male Asian elephants are often described as solitary. But the results of a 2026 study conducted in Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand suggests that the picture may be more complex. Researchers found that males regularly form groups, and these associations are far from random. Patterns of grouping shift with age, reproductive state and habitat. Many [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Male Asian elephants are often described as solitary. But the results of a 2026 study conducted in Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand suggests that the picture may be more complex. Researchers found that males regularly form groups, and these associations are far from random. Patterns of grouping shift with age, reproductive state and habitat. Many of these interactions unfold in open, human-used landscapes — the same spaces where negative interactions between people and elephants are often reported. “Elephant responses to threats are context-based and vary across regions and populations. By understanding how individuals associate with one another, we can develop more targeted conflict-mitigation strategies,” says Abhimanyu Madhusudanan, a wildlife biologist at the Wildlife Institute of India and the corresponding author of the study. Elephant group dynamics The study recorded 706 elephants (excluding calves), of which 219 were males. Each sighting was logged to build individual histories. Researchers also recorded whether males were alone, in all-male groups or part of mixed herds, along with their age and reproductive state. The team then analysed the data using spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR), a method that estimates population size by tracking how often individual animals are detected and where those sightings occur. From these sightings, SECR modelling estimated around 40 adult males in the study area. Males were most often seen in mixed herds, accounting for about half the sightings (50.8%), followed by solitary bulls at 29.8% and all-male groups at 19.4%. Overall, researchers found roughly two adult females for every adult male. Male&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/tuskers-form-all-male-groups-in-the-wild-finds-study/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/tuskers-form-all-male-groups-in-the-wild-finds-study/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Environmental issues underrepresented in West Bengal polls</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/environmental-issues-underrepresented-in-west-bengal-polls/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/environmental-issues-underrepresented-in-west-bengal-polls/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Apr 2026 14:54:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elections]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human elephant conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leopard]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/27142625/AP141362749490-scaled-e1777280308770-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37882</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Just Transitions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[West Bengal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Elephants, Environment, Environmental Politics, Human Rights, Human Wildlife Conflict, Politics, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As phased polls continue across West Bengal’s 294 assembly constituencies, the election debate has centred on issues like citizenship, while largely sidelining environmental issues. In the first phase on April 23, the state witnessed record voting. The next phase is scheduled for April 29, and voting will be counted on May 4. Speaking about the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As phased polls continue across West Bengal’s 294 assembly constituencies, the election debate has centred on issues like citizenship, while largely sidelining environmental issues. In the first phase on April 23, the state witnessed record voting. The next phase is scheduled for April 29, and voting will be counted on May 4. Speaking about the representation of environment in elections, wildlife biologist and co-founder of The Fishing Cat Project, Tiasa Adhya told Mongabay-India, “The ecological and environmental problems in West Bengal are the conversion of wetlands, decreasing freshwater flow in Sundarbans, indiscriminate sand mining, mining for minerals and ores, and conflict with elephants in both north and south West Bengal. These agendas have consequences for both nature and society and should come up strongly in policy manifestos. These are unprecedented times that require a change in the way we understand &#8216;development&#8217; and an increase in ecological literacy that is linked to human health and well-being.” Negative interactions between humans and wildlife are also a major concern in the state, said environmentalist and co-founder of Human and Environment Alliance League (HEAL), a non-profit based in Kolkata, Suvrajyoti Chatterjee “Negative interactions between humans and elephants cause a lot of fatalities in south West Bengal,&#8221; he told Mongabay-India. &#8220;Many places lack street lights, and the habit of open defecation among people causes fatalities. In north West Bengal districts also, deaths from elephant attacks are rising alarmingly. Those districts are also witnessing negative interaction with leopards. In Sundarbans, a lot of people die from&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/environmental-issues-underrepresented-in-west-bengal-polls/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/environmental-issues-underrepresented-in-west-bengal-polls/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Study finds counterintuitive rise in elephant deaths after organised monitoring</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/study-finds-counterintuitive-rise-in-elephant-deaths-after-organised-monitoring/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/study-finds-counterintuitive-rise-in-elephant-deaths-after-organised-monitoring/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Mar 2026 14:26:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crop loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human elephant conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tea estates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tea gardens]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/03222211/A_herd_of_wild_elephants_in_a_Tea_Garden-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37132</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Elephants, Forests, Human Rights, Human Wildlife Conflict, Plantations, Villages, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A new study analysing two decades of organised crop-guarding efforts to deter elephants from entering farms has found a counterintuitive outcome: villages with active monitoring recorded two to three times more elephant deaths. The elephant monitoring squads were set up in 2004 in Assam’s Sonitpur district where human-elephant conflict had led to high fatalities on [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A new study analysing two decades of organised crop-guarding efforts to deter elephants from entering farms has found a counterintuitive outcome: villages with active monitoring recorded two to three times more elephant deaths. The elephant monitoring squads were set up in 2004 in Assam’s Sonitpur district where human-elephant conflict had led to high fatalities on both sides. The aim behind setting up the squads was to keep elephants away from human habitation to reduce conflict and hence reduce deaths. The study set out to find whether this intervention was indeed effective in decreasing deaths, but found increased elephant mortality instead. The study findings however, need to be viewed with caution. While they show an association between an increased number of Antidepredation Squads (ADSs) and increased elephant deaths, they are not a direct proof of causation, notes WWF-India which helped set up these squads in Sonitpur. The data shows that there are more elephant deaths in areas where ADSs have been deployed. The reason for increased deaths, says study author Nitin Sekar, could be that ADSs result in more regular, organised, and effective driving of elephants than occurs in communities without ADSs.&#8221;It seems plausible that ADSs result in more regular, organised, and effective driving of elephants than occurs in communities without ADSs, and that elephants being chased in this way are less attentive to their surroundings (especially since drives often happen in the dark) and are more likely to run into an electric wire or fall into a trench,&#8221; Sekar said.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/study-finds-counterintuitive-rise-in-elephant-deaths-after-organised-monitoring/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/study-finds-counterintuitive-rise-in-elephant-deaths-after-organised-monitoring/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Land acquired for strengthening elephant corridors, pressurises farmer livelihoods [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/land-acquired-for-strengthening-elephant-corridors-pressurises-farmer-livelihoods-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/land-acquired-for-strengthening-elephant-corridors-pressurises-farmer-livelihoods-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Feb 2026 11:41:04 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ananda Siddhartha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elephant corridors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmlands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife corridors]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/16000504/1.-A-board-erected-on-land-purchased-to-strengthen-an-elephant-corridor-adjoining-the-Biligiri-Rangaswamy-Wildlife-Sanctuary-and-Tiger-Reserve-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36899</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Conservation, Elephants, Human Wildlife Conflict, Mammals, Protected Areas, Villages, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Acquiring agricultural land has been one of the strategies to strengthen elephant corridors in India, framed as a way to enable elephant movement between protected areas and reduce human-elephant conflict, among other reasons. Yet, this strategy approach plays out in complex and fragile rural landscapes with complicated tenurial arrangements, an aspect that has received little [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Acquiring agricultural land has been one of the strategies to strengthen elephant corridors in India, framed as a way to enable elephant movement between protected areas and reduce human-elephant conflict, among other reasons. Yet, this strategy approach plays out in complex and fragile rural landscapes with complicated tenurial arrangements, an aspect that has received little attention. “First, they said that the forest was for the tiger. Now, they are saying this land is for the elephant. There has been no change after they bought the land. Elephants are still destroying crops,” said a farmer whose neighbour’s land was acquired to strengthen an elephant corridor connecting the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve in Karnataka with the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu. Forest officials inspect crops damaged by elephants near Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Wildlife Sanctuary. Acquiring agricultural land has been one of the strategies to strengthen elephant corridors in rural India, a strategy that leaves farmers facing multiple pressures. Image by Ananda Siddhartha. A corridor links separated habitats, enabling animals to move between them, safely. A push for elephant corridors in India gathered momentum in 2005 with the publication of a report titled Right of Passage: Elephant Corridors of India, that identified 88 corridors across the country. The report was the outcome of a collaboration between conservation NGOs, researchers, state forest departments and Project Elephant, a national government initiative to protect the elephant. Since then, the list of corridors has steadily grown. An updated version in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/land-acquired-for-strengthening-elephant-corridors-pressurises-farmer-livelihoods-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/land-acquired-for-strengthening-elephant-corridors-pressurises-farmer-livelihoods-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Elephant’s death spotlights conditions in safari tourism</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/elephants-death-spotlights-conditions-in-safari-tourism/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/elephants-death-spotlights-conditions-in-safari-tourism/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Jan 2026 12:38:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Captive elephants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human elephant conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kaziranga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kaziranga National Park]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/12162022/Kaziranga_Elephant_Safari-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36438</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[The Indian Forest Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Elephants, Human Wildlife Conflict, Mammals, Protected Areas, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On the morning of December 11, 2025, Swarnamoyee, a 50-year-old safari elephant, had completed two trips carrying tourists in Kaziranga National Park (KNP), Assam. After this, Swarnamoyee collapsed unexpectedly on National Highway-715. After treatment, she managed to rise again briefly. But then she fell down again and this time, didn&#8217;t get up. Speaking to Mongabay-India, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On the morning of December 11, 2025, Swarnamoyee, a 50-year-old safari elephant, had completed two trips carrying tourists in Kaziranga National Park (KNP), Assam. After this, Swarnamoyee collapsed unexpectedly on National Highway-715. After treatment, she managed to rise again briefly. But then she fell down again and this time, didn&#8217;t get up. Speaking to Mongabay-India, Dr. S. Borgohain, Veterinary Officer, KNP, who treated the elephant, said, “As per our tentative diagnosis, the elephant died from respiratory failure. We conducted the postmortem as per which poisoning has been ruled out. There is no indication from the materials found in its digestive tract that the elephant was not eating properly. We have collected its vital organs like liver, lung, spleen, kidney etc. for further pathological tests at the forensic laboratory.” Bijit Dihingia, Range Officer, Bagori (Western Range), KNP told Mongabay-India, “During the tourist season in KNP (November-May), elephant safaris are in huge demand.” Elephant safaris are carried out mainly in two ranges — by private operators at Bagori (the western range) and by the forest department at Kohora (the central range). “While the elephants are required to carry out two trips daily (from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. and from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m.), during the weekend they are made to carry out three as tourist inflow increases,” Dihingia said. “Currently there are 39 elephants running safaris for private operators. One elephant carries four adult tourists per trip and smaller elephants carry three people. It costs ₹1,350 per person per trip,”&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/elephants-death-spotlights-conditions-in-safari-tourism/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Jumbo deaths on tracks expose gaps in wildlife safety</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/jumbo-deaths-on-tracks-expose-gaps-in-wildlife-safety/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/jumbo-deaths-on-tracks-expose-gaps-in-wildlife-safety/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Dec 2025 12:52:03 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asian elephants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elephant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elephant calves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elephant corridors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human elephant conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public transport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transportation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/31111217/Railway_station_at_Assam-Edited-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36303</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Elephants, Human Wildlife Conflict, Mammals, Protected Areas, Wildlife, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On the cold, foggy night of December 20, eight elephants — three adults and five calves — were killed after colliding with the superfast Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express in the Jamunamukh–Kampur section under the Lumding division in Assam. This includes a new born calf, delivered on the track from the impact of collision. The impact [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On the cold, foggy night of December 20, eight elephants — three adults and five calves — were killed after colliding with the superfast Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express in the Jamunamukh–Kampur section under the Lumding division in Assam. This includes a new born calf, delivered on the track from the impact of collision. The impact was so severe that five bogies of the train, along with the locomotive, were derailed. However, no human deaths or injuries were reported. The incident occurred near Sangjurai and Patiapam, villages under the Kampur subdivision in Nagaon district, around 126 km from Guwahati. According to a statement released by Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR), other trains such as the Rangiya–New Tinsukia Express, Guwahati–Jorhat Town Jan Shatabdi Express, Guwahati–Badarpur Vistadome Express, and New Tinsukia–Rangiya Express, were cancelled that day, following the incident. Expressing regret over the incident, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ordered a thorough enquiry. Meanwhile, the state forest minister Chandra Mohan Patowary told media persons: “The PCCF (Principal Chief Conservator of Forest) and HoFF (Head of Forest Force), Assam and PCCF (Wildlife) and CWW (Chief Wildlife Warden), Assam have been directed to take up the matter with the senior-most officials of Indian Railways to prevent the recurrence of such tragic incidents in the future.” On December 20, eight elephants, including three adults and five calves were killed after colliding with the Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express in Assam. Image by Anil Baruah. New route for elephants?&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/jumbo-deaths-on-tracks-expose-gaps-in-wildlife-safety/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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						<item>
					<title>Looking at human-wildlife conflict through a data-first lens</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/looking-at-human-wildlife-conflict-through-a-data-first-lens/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/looking-at-human-wildlife-conflict-through-a-data-first-lens/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Oct 2025 12:23:10 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nikhil Sreekandan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human elephant conflict]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/10/07104949/27707281806_1e04933a95_o-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34939</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Elephants, Human Wildlife Conflict, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Protected Areas, Wildlife, and Wildlife Protection Act]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the last 15 years, there have been 1,527 human deaths from wildlife encounters in Kerala, according to the data from the state forest department. While snake bites accounted for 75 percent of the casualties, elephants claimed 276 lives, wild pigs were responsible for 63 lives and conflict with tigers and gaurs resulted in the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the last 15 years, there have been 1,527 human deaths from wildlife encounters in Kerala, according to the data from the state forest department. While snake bites accounted for 75 percent of the casualties, elephants claimed 276 lives, wild pigs were responsible for 63 lives and conflict with tigers and gaurs resulted in the loss of 11 and 10 lives, respectively. The case count has been steadily rising; between 2021 and 2025, human interaction with elephants claimed 103 lives, wild pigs claimed 35 lives, and tigers claimed four lives. It is fair to say that Kerala, one of the most densely populated states in the country, has been in the eye of the storm, with cases of human-wildlife conflict — crop damage, livestock depredation and human casualties — being reported almost every day. Epicentre of human-elephant conflict in Kerala The Wayanad district, which recorded 450 human-wildlife conflict incidents in the last year alone, is one of the most conflict-prone regions in the state. The north-east district shares borders with both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and forms part of the Brahmagiri-Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats elephant landscape, which boasts the highest density of elephants in Asia, with an estimated population of 6,000 to 8,000 individuals. The Wayanad plateau, with its network of wetlands and perennial streams, has always been a valuable refuge for elephants in the dry season. However, with an expanding human population and a pronounced change in land use over the years, the region has become a hotspot for human-elephant conflict.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/looking-at-human-wildlife-conflict-through-a-data-first-lens/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Fragmented forests and human disturbances create stress in Asian elephants</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/fragmented-forests-and-human-disturbances-create-stress-in-asian-elephants/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/fragmented-forests-and-human-disturbances-create-stress-in-asian-elephants/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Oct 2025 15:50:14 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shweta Yogi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asian elephants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elephant corridors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human elephant conflict]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/10/01105435/3-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34848</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[West Bengal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Animal Behaviour, Conservation, Elephants, Habitat Fragmentation, Human Wildlife Conflict, Protected Areas, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Driven by habitat loss, human activities and climate change, Asian elephants are increasingly forced to navigate human-dominated landscapes, often resorting to crop foraging to meet their nutritional needs. Elephants adjust their foraging behaviour, social interactions, and even vocal communication, to adapt to human presence. But how do these adjustments affect them internally? A new study [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Driven by habitat loss, human activities and climate change, Asian elephants are increasingly forced to navigate human-dominated landscapes, often resorting to crop foraging to meet their nutritional needs. Elephants adjust their foraging behaviour, social interactions, and even vocal communication, to adapt to human presence. But how do these adjustments affect them internally? A new study published this year in Scientific Reports reveals that elephants facing frequent human interference exhibit significantly higher levels of physiological stress compared to those living in more natural habitats. According to the corresponding author of the study, professor Raman Sukumar from the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, elephant-human interactions vary significantly across different regions, ranging from passive and active deterrents to aggressive retaliation. “Elephants are already under stress from shrinking habitats. Aggressive human responses to crop-raiding can further amplify their stress, often more than human presence alone,” he says. Monitoring physiological stress Glucocorticoid hormones produced by the adrenal glands of elephants are crucial in stress response, making them key indicators of how they physiologically adjust to human disturbances. Similarly, thyroid hormones, particularly triiodothyronine (T3), reflect the metabolic state of animals facing nutritional stressors. Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel, Assistant Professor at Kyoto University&#8217;s Hakubi Centre and lead author of the paper, has been analysing elephant dung to understand trends in the faecal levels of glucocorticoid metabolites and T3 (fGCM/fT3) in relation to regional habitat fragmentation, human responses, and dietary variations. She collected fresh dung samples after elephants defecated and moved on, during the peak crop-foraging&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/fragmented-forests-and-human-disturbances-create-stress-in-asian-elephants/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Expanding elephant range fuels human-wildlife conflict</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/expanding-elephant-range-fuels-human-wildlife-conflict/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/expanding-elephant-range-fuels-human-wildlife-conflict/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Sep 2025 12:59:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crop loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wild elephants]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/09/18111132/Pachyderms-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34669</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Chhattisgarh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Elephants, Human Wildlife Conflict, Indigenous Peoples, Protected Areas, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Chhattisgarh has emerged as a new frontier in Asian elephant conservation, hosting a metapopulation of 250-300 elephants that have been expanding their range from neighbouring Odisha and Jharkhand since the year 2000. While this growth signals a possible recovery of elephant habitats in central India, it has also led to increasingly frequent, and sometimes dangerous, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Chhattisgarh has emerged as a new frontier in Asian elephant conservation, hosting a metapopulation of 250-300 elephants that have been expanding their range from neighbouring Odisha and Jharkhand since the year 2000. While this growth signals a possible recovery of elephant habitats in central India, it has also led to increasingly frequent, and sometimes dangerous, contact with local communities. According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chhattisgarh reported 303 human deaths from elephant-related incidents between 2019 and 2024, about 15% of the national total, even though the state is home to only 1% of India’s elephants. The Chhattisgarh Forest and Climate Change Department has also recorded over 80 elephant deaths in the past six years, as of 2024. A collaborative six-year study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Chhattisgarh Forest Department now offers deeper insight into this issue. “This region has significantly higher human-elephant conflict compared to others in India. Human deaths are also alarmingly high despite the relatively low elephant population,” says Lakshminarayanan Natarajan from the Elephant Cell, WII, and lead author of the study. Where forests meet fields To understand elephant-human interactions and their impact in this region, the researchers focused on northern Chhattisgarh, a landscape of sal forests and rich mineral reserves. The region is predominantly rural. While rice is the main crop, farmers also cultivate seasonal vegetables, pulses, maize, wheat, and sugarcane. In recent years, mining activity has also been steadily expanding. The study assessed landscape-level crop loss caused by&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/expanding-elephant-range-fuels-human-wildlife-conflict/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Intensifying efforts to tackle human animal conflict, a state-specific disaster</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/intensifying-efforts-to-tackle-human-animal-conflict-a-state-specific-disaster/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/intensifying-efforts-to-tackle-human-animal-conflict-a-state-specific-disaster/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Sep 2025 16:24:31 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Saritha S. Balan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disaster management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/09/11124219/elephant-coming-out-of-forest-wayanad-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34572</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Ecology, Elephants, Habitat Loss, and Human Wildlife Conflict]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On August 31, the south Indian state of Kerala launched an intensive 45-day mission to address the increasing negative interactions between people and wildlife. In a Facebook post on the same day, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the public that around 400 panchayats have been reporting such incidents, with the situation being particularly severe in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On August 31, the south Indian state of Kerala launched an intensive 45-day mission to address the increasing negative interactions between people and wildlife. In a Facebook post on the same day, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the public that around 400 panchayats have been reporting such incidents, with the situation being particularly severe in 273 panchayats. Earlier this year, Union Environment and Forest Minister Bhupendra Yadav informed the Rajya Sabha that an estimated 344 people had lost their lives in various human-wildlife conflict (HWC) incidents across the state between 2021 and 2025. Of these, 180 deaths were due to snakebites, 103 were attributed to elephants, 35 to wild pigs, and four to tigers. A study by the Wildlife Department of the Agriculture University for the State Planning Board found that 87% of negative interactions in Kerala were caused by elephants, wild boars, and monkeys. The study further highlighted that 64% of these conflicts occurred specifically in the Wayanad region. State-specific disaster In February this year, the Kerala government declared human-wildlife conflict a state-specific disaster to expedite aid and relief, including ex-gratia payments to victims or their next of kin in case of fatalities. A draft legislation is being prepared to address the issue, though concerns remain over the absence of a comprehensive strategy. In July 2025, the government issued an order to provide compensation for wildlife-related losses through both the state disaster fund and the forest department’s fund. Homes damaged by elephants in Wayanad. A recent study found that&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/intensifying-efforts-to-tackle-human-animal-conflict-a-state-specific-disaster/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Experts conflicted over the hard decision to soft release problem jumbos</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/05/experts-conflicted-over-the-hard-decision-to-soft-release-problem-jumbos/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/05/experts-conflicted-over-the-hard-decision-to-soft-release-problem-jumbos/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 May 2025 13:25:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forest management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human elephant conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tiger reserve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wildlife conservation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/05/13110048/Elephant-coffee-people-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=32586</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Elephants and Human Wildlife Conflict]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Perturbed by the escalating human-elephant conflict in the districts of Hassan, Kodagu, and Chikkamagaluru — and the repeated failure and ethical concerns surrounding traditional methods to deal with it, like direct translocation or permanent captivity — the Karnataka forest department is preparing to adopt a radically different approach. In what is being touted as a [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Perturbed by the escalating human-elephant conflict in the districts of Hassan, Kodagu, and Chikkamagaluru — and the repeated failure and ethical concerns surrounding traditional methods to deal with it, like direct translocation or permanent captivity — the Karnataka forest department is preparing to adopt a radically different approach. In what is being touted as a science-based, humane, and ecologically sustainable initiative, the state government plans to establish India’s first soft release centre for elephants in conflict, inside Bhadra Tiger Reserve, located within 100 km of major conflict hotspots in Karnataka. “These are animals that have adapted to a very different lifestyle — feeding on crops, living near human habitation. The idea is not just to move them into the forest and hope for the best. We’re proposing a soft release, a transitional process,” explains Manoj Rajan, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Project Elephant), who is leading the initiative. The goal, according to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) for Wildlife and Chief Wildlife Warden Subhash K. Malkhade, is to allow the elephants to get acclimatised to the new landscape, to gradually shift from crop-based foraging to feeding on native forest species. “Many of these elephants (in conflict) feed nocturnally due to human activity,” Rajan highlights, adding, “In the enclosure, biologists will monitor them and help them transition back to diurnal behaviour. Once the animals are well-adapted and no longer exhibit aggressive or conflict-prone behaviour, the enclosure gates will be opened to allow them to move into the larger&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/05/experts-conflicted-over-the-hard-decision-to-soft-release-problem-jumbos/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>A border village learns to live with migratory elephants</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/a-border-village-learns-to-live-with-migratory-elephants/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/a-border-village-learns-to-live-with-migratory-elephants/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Feb 2025 13:00:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Deepak Adhikari]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human elephant conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human-wildlife conflict]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/02/13104102/eb867a7f-bd65-44f3-bb0d-693500ba0649-2-2048x1366-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31480</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Nepal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Elephants, Mammals, and Migration]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The heavy thud against the glass window sent Krishna Bahadur Rasaili’s heart racing. Stepping outside, he saw his granary lay in ruins, and an elephant was feasting on his hard-earned paddy harvest. For years, this has been a terrifying reality in Bahundangi, a village along Nepal’s eastern border with India along the Mechi River. Wild [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The heavy thud against the glass window sent Krishna Bahadur Rasaili’s heart racing. Stepping outside, he saw his granary lay in ruins, and an elephant was feasting on his hard-earned paddy harvest. For years, this has been a terrifying reality in Bahundangi, a village along Nepal’s eastern border with India along the Mechi River. Wild Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), following their ancient migratory routes, frequently storm farms, devour crops and even ransack granaries. Desperate, village residents, including Rasaili, were accustomed to banging their tin drums and waving flaming torches in a futile attempt to drive them away. On the evening of December 8, 2021, Rasaili even contemplated resorting to the old methods. But his family members remembered what local campaigners had told them about elephants and did something different. Instead of shouting or fighting back, they quietly stayed indoors. With half of its body inside their home, the elephant devoured the rice and then moved on. “We no longer fear elephants nor are we angry at them,” Rasaili says. “When they come, we stay inside. If we don’t disturb them, they walk their path. If we shout, they create trouble.” Once a hotspot for human-elephant conflict, this village has transformed itself into a model of peaceful human-wildlife coexistence through a combination of innovative strategies, conservationists say. The communities in the last decade adopted crops that are unappealing to elephants and have changed their attitudes toward the animal, thanks to the effective implementation of government support. “Bahundangi has demonstrated that coexistence&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/a-border-village-learns-to-live-with-migratory-elephants/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Your Environment This Week: Social sciences for conservation, Nuanced human-elephant interactions and Tarantulas</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/your-environment-this-week-social-sciences-for-conservation-nuanced-human-elephant-interactions-and-tarantulas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/your-environment-this-week-social-sciences-for-conservation-nuanced-human-elephant-interactions-and-tarantulas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Jan 2025 16:50:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay India]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Saumitrashinde]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/01/09131146/1200px-Loktak_Lake_Boat_people_Moirang_Manipur_India-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31038</guid>

					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Elephants, Groundwater, and Insects]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the latest high quality, original video stories from nature’s frontline in India. To receive a weekly email roundup of stories, please sign-up for our newsletter. Government report highlights groundwater contamination across India The report links contamination to problems [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the latest high quality, original video stories from nature’s frontline in India. To receive a weekly email roundup of stories, please sign-up for our newsletter. Government report highlights groundwater contamination across India The report links contamination to problems such as excessive water use, urban growth and unsustainable farming. Social sciences shape effective conservation strategies Using social sciences in conservation strategies is an evolving trend that is important to address conservation challenge. Even amid conflict, nuanced narratives of reverence and empathy for the elephant prevail A recent study argues that historical conditions shape the relationship between elephants and Assam&#8217;s tea tribes. Women-led initiatives aim to bridge the gender gap in climate action Women-led initiatives that focus on climate awareness, gender equality and skill-building, are emerging in India. New tarantulas described from the Western Ghats Four new species of tarantulas, including one new genus, have been described from India’s Western Ghats mountains. A concerning trend shows that 25% of newly described tarantula species since 2000 have appeared in the pet trade, with some appearing for sale within months of being scientifically described. [Interview] Climate scientist M.N. Rajeevan’s dream book explains rainstorms, longer monsoon seasons, highlights forecast challenges Data, essentially a form of knowledge, should be shared widely to maximise its benefits for society, says climate scientist M.N. Rajeevan in this interview with Mongabay India. Behind the discovery of four kings Mongabay India interviewed wildlife biologist&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/your-environment-this-week-social-sciences-for-conservation-nuanced-human-elephant-interactions-and-tarantulas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Even amid conflict, nuanced narratives of reverence and empathy for the elephant prevail</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/even-amid-conflict-nuanced-narratives-of-reverence-and-empathy-for-the-elephant-prevail/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/even-amid-conflict-nuanced-narratives-of-reverence-and-empathy-for-the-elephant-prevail/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Jan 2025 11:41:50 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deforestation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Displacement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elephants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat degradation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[human elephant conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northeast India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tea estates]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/01/09102013/Wild_elephants_Hoollongapar_Gibbon_Sanctuary_Jorhat__Assam_Kothalgoorie_Tea_Estate-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31000</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Elephants and Human Wildlife Conflict]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Human-elephant conflict is a recurring issue in the northeastern state of Assam. Among the worst-affected regions in the state is the Dhanshiri Wildlife Division in Udalguri district, where, among those impacted in this human animal conflict situation, are the indigenous Adivasi/Tea Tribe people living in Udalguri. According to data presented by the Assam government in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Human-elephant conflict is a recurring issue in the northeastern state of Assam. Among the worst-affected regions in the state is the Dhanshiri Wildlife Division in Udalguri district, where, among those impacted in this human animal conflict situation, are the indigenous Adivasi/Tea Tribe people living in Udalguri. According to data presented by the Assam government in the state assembly, from 2010 to 2019, 62 elephants and 155 people died in human elephant conflict, specifically in the district’s Dhanshiri Wildlife Division. To understand the nuanced situation better, researchers Sayan Banerjee, Dibakar Nayak and Anindya Saha conducted ethnographic fieldwork in the Udalguri district among the Adivasi/Tree Tribe (A/TT) community to examine their interactions with wild elephants. Their paper Adivasi (Tea Tribe) worldviews of living close to wild Asian elephants in Assam, India published in the journal Conservation Biology, notes that “through socioecological ruptures, caused by displacement and deforestation, Adivasi (Tea Tribe) and elephant lives have intersected through space and time.” Mitigation action so far has treated human elephant conflict as a technical problem, says the paper, noting that empathy for the elephant, expressed by the local tribal communities, highlights ways of living with elephants that are “affective and reach beyond technocentric interventions.” The study was conducted in a landscape mosaic of tea estates of varying sizes, agricultural settlements, river channels and riverine areas, and forested tracts around the Khalingduar Reserve Forest of Udalguri district. Fieldwork was carried out in the villages and tea estates within 10 km of the reserve forest boundary. The&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/even-amid-conflict-nuanced-narratives-of-reverence-and-empathy-for-the-elephant-prevail/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Your Environment This Week: Tigers in the hood, indigenous cattle, Rooftop farming</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/your-environmenth-this-week-tigers-in-the-hood-indigenous-cattle-rooftop-farming/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/your-environmenth-this-week-tigers-in-the-hood-indigenous-cattle-rooftop-farming/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Nov 2024 18:00:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay India]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Saumitrashinde]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/11/27155806/signal-2024-11-27-155640_002-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=30532</guid>

					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Elephants, Organic Farming, and Tigers]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the latest high quality, original video stories from nature’s frontline in India. To receive a weekly email roundup of stories, please sign-up for our newsletter. Unlocking the secrets of the grooving gibbons New research show that adult female [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the latest high quality, original video stories from nature’s frontline in India. To receive a weekly email roundup of stories, please sign-up for our newsletter. Unlocking the secrets of the grooving gibbons New research show that adult female crested gibbons perform captivating dances in both captive and wild settings. Indigenous livestock breeds have evolved to brave harsh climates Research efforts are now directed towards identifying the genetic markers that contribute to these resilience traits. No-fuss approach to food helps golden jackals thrive A wide-ranging diet of of golden jackals may be contributing to their successful distribution and survival. The missing tigers of Ranthambore Recurring disappearance of tigers from Ranthambore National Park raises concerns about wildlife management at the park. Fungus, not kodo millet, responsible for Bandhavgarh elephant deaths Initial investigations into the elephant deaths revealed traces of a type of poison in their stomachs. Living in fear as tigers leave the woods for the hood Chandrapur district in Maharashtra is at the epicenter of human-tiger conflicts, with fatalities from tiger attacks on the rise. The mental health of residents living on the frontlines of these conflicts is severely impacted, with fear, anxiety, and unresolved grief palpable among the families of victims and survivors of tiger attacks. Speaking with Nature: Ramachandra Guha discusses his new book &amp; Indian environmentalism In this episode of the Mongabay Session, S. Gopikrishnan Warrier, Managing Editor of Mongabay India,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/your-environmenth-this-week-tigers-in-the-hood-indigenous-cattle-rooftop-farming/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Genomes map elephant populations, history</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/genomes-map-elephant-populations-history/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/genomes-map-elephant-populations-history/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Nov 2024 10:26:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elephants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[genetic study]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[genome]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[migration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[research]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/10/31081525/2048px-Elephas_maximus_indicus-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=30083</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species and Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Elephants, Migration, and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Asian elephants are one of the better studied species in the country. Yet, every new study provides a fresh glimpse into the secret world of jumbos. A recently published study on the genetic history of Asian elephants in India reveals some new findings — there are five genetically distinct populations of elephants in the country [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Asian elephants are one of the better studied species in the country. Yet, every new study provides a fresh glimpse into the secret world of jumbos. A recently published study on the genetic history of Asian elephants in India reveals some new findings — there are five genetically distinct populations of elephants in the country and their history is much older than previously thought. Uma Ramakrishnan, a professor at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and one of the researchers associated with the study, says that animal genomics reveal intriguing aspects of the country’s wildlife history. “It’s fascinating to use DNA to reconstruct the past of various wildlife species. As we continue this work with different species, we’ll gain insights into India’s wildlife past,&#8221; she informs Mongabay India. She adds that it was important to explore this, especially since most impacts on wildlife have occurred in the last 200 years due to habitat fragmentation, increasing human populations, and other factors. Whole genome sequencing of elephant populations in India shows five genetically distinct populations of the species. Image by Charles J. Sharp via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) India is home to approximately 30,000 Asian elephants which constitute 60% of the global Asian elephant population spread across South and Southeast Asia. The current study done by researchers at the NCBS and the Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc) found five genetically distinct populations — one each in the north and central India and three in south India. Blood samples were collected&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/genomes-map-elephant-populations-history/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Your Environment This Week: Citizen science improves scientific knowledge, Mahouts of Kaziranga, Fishing cat population grows</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/your-environment-this-week-citizen-science-improves-scientific-knowledge-mahouts-of-kaziranga-fishing-cat-population-grows/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/your-environment-this-week-citizen-science-improves-scientific-knowledge-mahouts-of-kaziranga-fishing-cat-population-grows/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Oct 2024 17:44:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay India]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Saumitrashinde]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/10/10114108/IMG-20241003-WA0001-1-720x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29846</guid>

					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cats, Citizen science, Elephants, and Frogs]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the latest high quality, original video stories from nature’s frontline in India. To receive a weekly email roundup of stories, please sign-up for our newsletter. When people’s participation propels science A study on the Malabar tree toad highlights [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the latest high quality, original video stories from nature’s frontline in India. To receive a weekly email roundup of stories, please sign-up for our newsletter. When people’s participation propels science A study on the Malabar tree toad highlights the significance of citizen science in advancing scientific knowledge. The courage and legacy of mahouts in Kaziranga The elephants and their mahouts of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve play an essential role in the management of the park. A fishing cat survey indicates robust population density Researchers attribute this increase mainly to the lake’s abundant fish population, the primary food for the cat. Converting carbon dioxide into fuels for the future Bappi Paul, a scientist with the National Forensic Sciences University in Ahmedabad, was recently awarded the Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar for the catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to ethanol, among other innovations. [Commentary] Can “life” be defined, one species at a time? Despite its apparent diversity in forms and functions, life is a continuum – a continuous chain that cannot be easily broken up into distinct and separate units. This is why attempts to draw discrete boundaries have led to unresolved debates, writes R.J. Ranjit Daniels in this commentary.This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/your-environment-this-week-citizen-science-improves-scientific-knowledge-mahouts-of-kaziranga-fishing-cat-population-grows/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>The courage and legacy of mahouts in Kaziranga</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/the-courage-and-legacy-of-mahouts-in-kaziranga/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/the-courage-and-legacy-of-mahouts-in-kaziranga/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Oct 2024 11:34:31 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elephants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jobs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kaziranga National Park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihoods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mahouts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[national parks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protected areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tigers]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/10/07114200/1200px-Kaziranga_Elephant_Safari-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29801</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Elephants, Indigenous Peoples, Protected Areas, and Tigers]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On a sweltering morning in May 2004, a team of forest officials and veterinarians headed to a paddy field in Diphlu Pothar, a village near the Agoratoli range of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR), in Assam&#8217;s Golaghat district. Their mission: to tranquilise a large adult tigress. The tigress, along with two cubs, had [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On a sweltering morning in May 2004, a team of forest officials and veterinarians headed to a paddy field in Diphlu Pothar, a village near the Agoratoli range of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR), in Assam&#8217;s Golaghat district. Their mission: to tranquilise a large adult tigress. The tigress, along with two cubs, had recently entered the village and had attacked cattle. A day earlier, the officials had managed to tranquilise the two cubs and release them into the jungle. Now, the tigress remained. What happened next took the entire team by surprise. As they were scouting the area, atop elephants, the tigress suddenly emerged from the field and leapt at one of the two elephants carrying the officials. Satyaban Pegu, a 25-year-old mahout sitting on the elephant named Joymala, was mauled and injured by the tigress. “I was sitting on the elephant with the mahout [Satyaban] and I fell off. Generally, elephants are scared of tigers and try to flee when they see one. But in this case, Joymala showed great courage and charged towards the tigress. The elephant also tried to pin down the big cat. Eventually, the tigress didn&#8217;t attack anyone else and went away. The elephant played a very important role in saving our lives that day,” retired forest official Dharanidhar Boro, who was a ranger at that time, tells Mongabay India. R.K. Das, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) at that time, who was sitting on the second elephant, took a video of the incident, highlighting&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/the-courage-and-legacy-of-mahouts-in-kaziranga/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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