Humanelephant conflict hec is a complex and pervasive problem that occurs. Jan 11, 2019 human elephant conflict is a major conservation concern in elephant range countries. In the past 10 years, 372 people have been killed by elephants in assam talukdar, 2010. Protectionist conservation groups have recently attempted to play down the importance of humanelephant conflict, contending that it has been greatly exaggerated by those advocating sustainable use of wildlife. Pdf humanelephant conflict is a major conservation concern in elephant range countries.
There should be a clear and succinct definition of human elephant conflict prior t o laying out a set of principals of human elephant conflict. Humanelephant conflict in india, driven by habitat loss and an expanding human population, is a complex challenge for biodiversity conservation. Protection strategies are implemented when the conflict is certain to happen or has already occurred. We tested communitybased cropguarding methods with and without novel chilibased elephant deterrents and describe changes in farmers. Habitat loss and humanelephant conflict in assam, india. Approaches to studying and mitigating conflict, however, are narrowly focused on visible impacts such. Human elephant conflict in botswana is further driven by the political climate in which it is situated. Elephant pepper development trust, livingstone, zambia and. Human wildlife conflict occurs when wildlife requirements encroach on those of human populations, with costs both to residents and wild animals iucn 2005. Conflict between humans and elephants on private land in northern kenya. In the kenya portion of the ecosystem the maasai mara and surrounding areas, people and wildlife peacefully coexisted for years when space for both. Elephants are extremely important to botswanas national economy.
On average 225 elephants have been killed by farmers annually. View human elephant conflict research papers on academia. The human elephant conflict is a term that defines a growing problem in asia. Human elephant conflict zones in the buffer zones of pendjari and w biosphere reserves, benin, based on information provided by local farmers. Peoples attitudes toward wildlife conservation can significantly affect the success of conservation initiatives. Depredation of livestock by african predators is well documented in kenya, namibia, botswana, and more. The data of human elephant conflict during 2010 causes. We investigate psychosocial and mental health impacts of human elephant conflict. Human elephant conflict hec occurs when people and wildlife compete for space and resources. When elephants and humans interact, there is conflict from crop raiding, injuries and deaths to humans caused by elephants, and elephants being killed by humans for. Humanelephant conflict mitigation iucn ssc humanwildlife. Humanelephant conflict is a major conservation concern in elephant range countries.
Determining if, how and why this conflict has changed over time will be an important step towards managing landscapes where people and elephants elephas maximus coexist. This assessment builds on previous work to provide greater insight into the relative severity of human elephant conflict in villages bordering the gr boundary in. However, human elephant conflict remains pervasive as the majority of existing prevention strategies are driven by sitespecific factors that only offer shortterm. Elephant human conflict is a result of habitat loss and fragmentation.
Highlights we investigate psychosocial and mental health impacts of humanelephant conflict. Humanelephant confict in tumkur district, karnataka, india. Attitudes of local people toward wildlife conservation. Symposium on humanelephant relationships and conflicts, sri lanka, s. The problems that farmers experience do to cropraiding and other types of humanelephant conflicts include the direct effects of lost livelihood and income and indirect. Elephant crop raiding is one of the most relevant forms of humanelephant conflict hec in africa. Issues were often polarized or framed in dramatic terms, and consonance in reporting causes was lacking.
Northern botswana holds the largest population of african elephants in the world, and in the eastern okavango panhandle, 16,000 people share and compete for resources with more than 11,000 elephants. Most activities conducted to safe guard crops and to mitigate the human elephant conflict have been d eveloped alm ost en tir ely fr om th e poin t of vi ew o f human. We document mental health antecedents and consequences. Humanelephant conflict mitigation measures iucn portal. Oct 18, 2017 asian elephants elephas maximus are an endangered species and humanelephant conflict hec is the major threat to their survival. Equator initiative 2008 ravi corea, president, sri lanka wildlife conservation society coordinator, human elephant conflict task force, iucn asian elephant specialist. In 2002 this was renamed the human elephant conflict working group hecwg to more accurately reflect the ongoing nature of its work. Based on our results we propose that a critical habitat threshold for human elephant conflict may exist at 3040% forest cover. Humanwildlife conflicts and management options in bangladesh, with special reference to asian elephants elephas maximus. Pdf sociological dimensions of humanelephant conflict with. Myanmar is an ideal location for asian elephant elephas maximus l. Elephant human conflict poses a grave threat to their continued existence. Towards humanelephant coexistence in the ruaha ecosystem. Two of the primary examples of conflict in africa are human predator lions, leopards, cheetahs, etc.
Causes and options for coexistence abstract though african elephants loxodonta africana are listed as endangered by the international union for theconservation of nature and natural resources iucn, efforts to protect and conserve the species have been. There are several projects and initiatives, on the mitigation of elephanthuman conflict, taking place around the country w ith little sharing of information. Human elephant conflict is broadly defined as any interaction that results in negative effects on human, social, economic, or cultural life, on elephant conservation, or on the environment parker et al. As a result, the last of the wild asian elephants are being killed not for \u0003ivory, but as a last resort for survival. Through this book we also learn about rational management strategies that can be employed on the local and national level to mitigate human elephant conflicts. Depredation in human settlements is another major area of humanelephant conflict. Project orange elephant is a conflict specific holistic. Elephants are responsible for more than 40% of the humanwildlife conflict, 70% of the wildlifecaused human casualties, and a 25% loss in crop.
The expansion of conflict showed a significant southward trend and was associated with forest cover dropping below 3040%. Manelephant conflict a case study from forests in west. As prime elephant habitats are shrinking across asia and human developments are on the rise, both species are increasingly coming into close contact. The fence is supposed to prevent elephants from leaving conservancy land to raid crops on smallholder farms. Depredation in human settlements is another major area of human elephant conflict occurring in small forest pockets, encroachments into elephant habitat, and on elephant migration routes. Spatial distribution of human elephant conflict the spatial distribution of. Humanelephant conflict hec occurs when people and wildlife compete for space and resources. Each strategy group is then discussed, with emphasis on its potential success. A stakeholder assessment of humanelephant conflict in benin. Elephant crop raiding is one of the most relevant forms of human elephant conflict hec in africa.
Christy williams, eric wikramanayake, tariq aziz, sameer m. Aug 25, 2019 the human elephant conflict is a term that defines a growing problem in asia. Human wildlife conflict refers to the interaction between wild animals and humans, and the resultant negative impact on people, animals, resources, and habitats. Human elephant conflict hec is a complex and pervasive problem that occurs throughout the range of the african elephant wherever elephants and people share the same habitat, often competing for the same resources. At the same time, many poor farmers havent changed their daily lives for hundreds of years but their crops and villages are being threatened. Human dimensions of humanelephant conflict in botswana. The future of elephants in ecosystems over much of the continent will depend largely upon the attitudes and activities of humans. The increasing human pressure due to human activities like. Pdf an assessment of the humanelephant conflict in sri. Case study from tamil nadu 447 use of s earch light served as a mitigating factor to avoid elephant intrusion into the villages from the nearby forest areas.
How do landuse practices affect humanelephant conflict in. Spatial distribution of humanelephant conflict the spatial distribution of hec was assessed. Humanelephant conflict mitigation mara elephant project. Elephants as actors in the political ecology of human. Project orange elephant is a conflict specific holistic approach to mitigating human elephant conflict in sri lanka chathuranga dharmarathne 1 chandima fernando 1. An assessment of humanelephant conflict in the western. For example today human elephant conflict has transcendent from being a purely wildlife management problem to one of the biggest socio. Human elephant conflict poses a major threat to elephants in many parts of asia, including sri lanka. Human elephant conflict is a major conservation concern in elephant range countries. A stakeholder assessment of humanelephant conflict in benin figure 3. Perceptions and patterns of humanelephant conflict in old. Funding this report is made possible by the generous support of the american people through the united states agency for.
However, human elephant conflict remains pervasive as the majority of existing prevention strategies are driven by sitespecific factors that only offer short. Using beehive fences to increase human elephant coexistence for smallscale farmers in kenya book chapter. The assessment of the humanelephant conflict was carried out from january to march 2008 through the use of a. Habitat loss and conflict with people are increasing. Assessment and prediction of spatial patterns of humanelephant conflicts in changing land cover scenarios of a. Understanding humanwildlife conflict is an important first step in the conservation of highly. Asia, then hec will have to be resolved, or the conflict minimized to the point. We argue for a new interdisciplinary paradigm bridging ecology and the clinic. As a tropical continent with substantial anthropogenic development, the africa is a hotspot for biodiversity and therefore, for human wildlife conflict.
Hec is on the rise as the space in the mara diminishes and the population continues to increase. Examining humanelephant conflict in southern africa. Jan 23, 2020 project orange elephant is a conflict specific holistic approach to mitigating human elephant conflict in sri lanka chathuranga dharmarathne 1 chandima fernando 1. In india, the increase in population of elephant with no increase in forest area poses danger to the farmers of both small scale subsistence agriculture and international agribusiness. Tumkur district is compiled in the form of spread sheets the major cause for the human elephant conflict in the district is the intrusion of wild elephants into the tumkur district from bannerghatta national park. Pdf sociological dimensions of humanelephant conflict. In fact in most countries across the asian elephant s range, it has replaced poaching as the major human cause of elephant mortality. The damage of their habitat would trigger conflict with humans, he added. The crocodile is the animal responsible for the most human deaths in africa. Alleviation of humanwildlife conflicts is one of the great challenges for conservation of wildlife worldwide 1,2. Hec causes crop and property loss and occasionally results in the death of both humans and elephants in nepal. Human wildlife conflict management human wildlife conflict can be managed through a variety of approaches.
In fact in most countries across the asian elephants range, it has replaced poaching as the major human cause of elephant mortality. Veterinary science, wildlife science, human elephant conflict, case study, mitigation, elephants. Review of humanelephant conflict mitigation measures practiced in south asia. Hec in the northern region involves transboundary herds and the sociological dimension of hec there is understudied. The available forest department records related to conflict since 2007 onwards were used for analysis. Wildlife managers in one state do not have access to research findings or results of mitigation measure testing being carried out in other states. Failure to recognize the significance of the human elephant conflict can result in a negative attitude to elephants and apathy or indifference to conservation initiatives. This study evaluates the economic viability of elephant conservation in nepal within. Humanelephant conflict zones in the buffer zones of pendjari and w biosphere reserves, benin, based on information provided by local farmers. Box 15 adverse effects of human wildlife conflict on wildlife conservation 34 box 16 awareness raising. Human elephant conflicts hec arise with complex interactions between humans and elephants often resulting in detrimental impacts for both species. However, increasing humanelephant conflict hec threatens to derail ongoing elephant conservation programs. A rapid survey of humanelephant interactions along the. Primary conflicts included crop raiding, human casualties and elephant mortality.
Human elephant conflict is a substantial problem in elephants for africas study area, and through our applied research and working with local communities we are working towards human. Causes and options for coexistence abstract though african elephants loxodonta africana are listed as endangered by the international union for theconservation of nature and natural resources iucn, efforts. Challenges and management 1 human wildlife conflict challenges and. An assessment of human elephant elephas maximus conflict was carried out in bandipur national park bnp, karnataka during 2012. Humanelephant conflict hec is a serious threat to elephants and can cause major economic losses. Humanelephant conflict poses a major threat to elephants in many parts of asia, including sri lanka. Wellbeing impacts of humanelephant conflict in khumaga. View humanelephant conflict research papers on academia. We studied human elephant conflict in two areas with contrasting scenarios of landuse and conflict, kahalle and yala. Over the last 100 years, african elephant populations have declined from 35 million to 470,000690,000 and asian elephant populations have declined from 100,000 to between 35,000 and 50,000. A rapid survey of human elephant interactions along the western boundary of rungwakizigomuhesi game reserves.
Understanding the factors influencing these attitudes is essential for designing strategies to alleviate human wildlife conflict. Habitat loss and conflict with people are among the biggest threats to their continued survival. Readers will discover insights into changes in the behavioral pattern of elephants and local people in the conflict ridden zones, and how this influences food selection. In africa, humans and forest elephants have not coexisted peacefully through history. Willingness to pay for mitigating humanelephant conflict by. Although it is unlikely that the human elephant conflict can be eliminated altogether, yet every effort must be taken to reduce it to tolerable levels. Jun 23, 2016 roughly 20% of the worlds population lives near the asian elephant. Most of these conflicts, however, occur in small forest pockets.
Habitat is shrinking daily and humans are encroaching on the territory of elephants. It is widely accepted that reduction of hec will often require communitybased methods for repelling elephants but there are few tests of such methods. An assessment of the humanelephant conflict in sri lanka. Human elephant conflict in serengeti district 2 an assessment of humanelephant conflict in the western serengeti authors. Perception of humanelephant conflict and conservation. Preexisting mental illness is worsened and newer morbidities are generated. Prevention strategies endeavour to avoid the conflict occurring in the first place and take action towards addressing its root causes.
We studied humanelephant conflict in two areas with contrasting scenarios of landuse and conflict, kahalle and yala. Towards human elephant coexistence in the ruaha ecosystem. Humanelephant conflict hec is dramatically on the rise and has become one of the major issues in the fight to save asias endangered elephants. When elephants and humans interact, there is conflict from crop raiding, injuries and deaths to humans caused by elephants, and elephants being killed by humans for reasons other than ivory and habitat degradation. In order to meet this challenge, in 1997 the african elephant specialist group afesg officially inaugurated a fivemember human elephant conflict task force. Human elephant conflict is one of the biggest environmental and socioeconomic crises of rural sri lanka.
In india, wild elephants probably kill far more people than tiger, leopard or lion. Hence, it is not surprising this area represents a hec hotspot in the region. Although this topic has been studied extensively across diverse regions, there has been no such study in the kashmir division of jammu and kashmir. Human elephant conflicts occur when elephants raid crops of shifting cultivators in fields, which are scattered over a large area interspersed with forests. Preexisting mental illness is worsened and newer morbidities are.
It occurs when growing human populations overlap with established wildlife territory, creating competition for space and resources. In 2002 this was renamed the humanelephant conflict working group hecwg to more accurately reflect the ongoing nature of its work. Kahalle was developed and settled under the mahaweli irrigation project and the main agricultural practice was irrigated agriculture, with two annual growing seasons. An assessment of human elephant interactions, elephant corridors, and community attitudes around ruaha national park, tanzania. Bangladesh is a tenacious frontier of human elephant conflict hec, with conflict in the country escalating over the last 20 years. African elephant, conservation, human elephant conflict, kenya, non human, political ecology 1 introduction a camera trap is installed facing an electric fence in northern kenya. In order to meet this challenge, in 1997 the african elephant specialist group afesg officially inaugurated a fivemember humanelephant conflict task force. Land conflicts may be the greatest longterm threat to elephant conservation because as people and elephants inhabit the same areas and share scarce resources, there will be more pressure to encroach on elephant habitat for human uses, and this will get worse as human populations continue to grow. Human elephant conflict hec is a complex and pervasive problem that occurs throughout the range of the african elephant wherever elephants and people share the. A gps collar on one of the elephants and reports from. All continents and countries whether developed or developing, are affected by human wildlife conflict human wildlife conflict in africa, fao forestry paper 157. Therefore, continuous monitoring and adaptive management based on results is critical for successful human elephant conflict mitigation. Oct 12, 2010 failure to recognize the significance of the human elephant conflict can result in a negative attitude to elephants and apathy or indifference to conservation initiatives.
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