Abstract
An attempt has been made to analyze the temporal and spatial patterns of human-elephant conflict (HEC) and mitigation measures adopted in West Bengal, a thickly populated and agrarian state of India. West Bengal supports only 2% elephant population of India but contributes to the highest human casualties due to HEC. A total of 726 human deaths, 1233 human injuries, 51,542.027 ha areas of crop loss, 34,446 hut damage, and 136 unnatural elephant deaths were reported in West Bengal during April 2010 to March 2019 due to direct HEC. Electrocution was the leading cause of unnatural elephant deaths, followed by train accidents and poaching. South Bengal witnessed maximum crop raiding by elephants. About INR 59.09 crores were compensated by the government to the victims of wild elephant depredation during the same period. Both human and elephant population is increasing and resulting in higher HEC. Natural elephant habitats become fragmented and even degraded due to rapid urbanization and human intervention. Increasing HECs not only cause a negative impact on the agro-based and forest-based household economy of rural people living in conflict prone areas of almost thirteen districts of the state, but also pose a major threat to elephant conservation. Apart from traditional short-term elephant driving practices, several long-term cost-effective and innovative mitigation measures should also be taken involving local communities and other stakeholders for proper management of natural elephant habitat, restoration of elephant corridors, protection of elephants, reduction of HEC, and sustainable development in the state of West Bengal.
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Acknowledgements
Sincere acknowledgement is made to the Wildlife Wing, Directorate of Forests, Government of West Bengal, and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India, for sharing their annual reports, information, and data regarding elephant census, conservation, human-elephant conflict, and mitigation measures in their respective official websites.
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Majumder, R. Human-elephant conflict in West Bengal, India: present status and mitigation measures. Eur J Wildl Res 68, 33 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-022-01583-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-022-01583-w