Human-elephant conflict
Open-knowledge reference entry
Human-elephant conflict (HEC) refers to the negative interactions that occur between humans and elephants, primarily driven by habitat loss as land is developed for agriculture or settlement and elephants are forced to compete for natural resources. Human-elephant conflict can range from crop raiding, in which elephants consume or damage cultivated plants, to violent encounters when elephants perceive a threat to their land, survival, or offspring.
Human-elephant conflict is prominent in areas where human settlement overlaps with elephant population, such as in Central and East Africa as well as parts of South and Southeast Asia. Hundreds of people are killed annually as a result, and hundreds of Asian elephants in affected countries are killed each year. Kenyan wildlife authorities state that around 120 African elephants are killed every year therein as a result of HEC. The economic impact of human-elephant conflict includes significant crop and income losses across affected regions.
Physical barriers, changes in approach to agriculture, deterrent technology, and warning mechanisms have all been proposed as potential ways to mitigate the problem of human-elephant conflict. Poisoning, electrocution, and other retaliatory methods create threats to Asian elephant populations in South Asia.
Causes
The primary cause of human-elephant conflict is the destruction and fragmentation of natural elephant habitat as a result of the widespread development of land for agricultural, residential or other purposes. This forces elephants into closer proximity with humans, and also creates competition for natural resources, making the chances of a dangerous or costly human-elephant encounter more likely.
By location
Asia
Human-elephant conflict is an issue for many South and East Asian nations.
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