Jumbo conflict

The rapid degradation of reserve forests and the fragmentation of the elephants’
migration corridor are some of the reasons for the escalating human-elephant
conflicts in the North-East, especially Assam, writes Bijay Sankar Bora


It is the reserve forests and not the protected wildlife areas that form bulk
of the elephant habitat in the North-East

Elephants used to enjoy a jumbo presence in the socio-cultural life in the North-East, especially in Assam, where folk tales about the giant animal are still in circulation. There was a time when a person’s status in society was gauged by the number of domesticated elephants he had in his stable. The age-old practice of catching elephants in the wild, using domesticated elephants in the jungles of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, was in vogue till the last decade of the previous century before the Union Government put a blanket ban on felling of trees in the North-East in 1997 to check wanton destruction of forest in the area. Domesticated elephants were much sought after in those days for bringing out logs from jungles, and on an average 300 elephants were captured from the wild in Assam during those days.

Now, with the blanket ban in force on capturing wild elephants for the conservation of Asian elephants in the country, the tradition of elephant capture is no longer in vogue in Assam and other parts of the region, which have witnessed a serious problem of man-elephant conflict, that can be discerned more in Assam out of all the states of the region.

Rapid degradation of the reserve forests, fragmentation of the elephants’ migration corridor due to unabated human encroachment are cited as the basic reasons for escalating human-elephant conflicts in the region, especially Assam. The degradation of forest areas creates a shortage of fodder for the elephants, which then stray in to areas of human population in search of food in paddy fields and granaries.

Another peculiar reason for the man-elephant conflict in Assam is the smell of rice beer that is brewed in the villages of the state, which brings wild elephants to human habitats. Experts say, elephants can smell locally brewed rice beer from a long distance and can’t just resist it. The degradation of forest areas has affected the elephant corridors across the state and along the inter-state and international boundaries. Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya account for a combined elephant population of 8,782 (2008 census) out of a total of 9,230 in the North-East, including the North Bengal area. Out of these, Assam has about 5,300 elephants, according to information gleaned from the State Forest Department. According to official statistics, there were 11,027 wild elephants in all the seven north-eastern states and North Bengal, as per 1,993 census and the figure decreased to 9,230 in 2008.

There are 15 notified elephant migration corridors in Assam as against eight in Arunachal Pradesh and 26 in Meghalaya. Four and three corridors fall on the Assam-Arunachal and Assam-Nagaland border, respectively, besides another two on the Arunachal-Nagaland border. In addition, six, four and three trans-national corridors of the North-East occur on the Indo-Bangladesh, Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Myanmar boundaries, respectively.

Expanding human settlements coupled with industrial and agricultural activities have led to degradation of elephant corridors in the region. Ecological restoration of existing natural habitats, as well as migrating routes and corridors are two prime objectives of Project Elephant, which was launched in 1992 to address the growing threats to elephants and their habitat.

"The state government is making efforts under Project Elephant for the restoration of degraded elephant habitats and corridors. We are doing plantation in the Elephant Reserves that have suffered forest cover loss, and a plan is afoot to reclaim land on some of the elephant corridors falling on private land, tea plantation, etc." Suresh Chand, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Assam, says.

Assam has five Elephant Reserves (ER) – Sonitpur (1,420 sq km), Dehing-Patkai (937 sq km), Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong (3,270 sq km), Dhansiri-Lungding Elephant Reserve (2,740 sq km), and Chirang-Ripu (2,600 sq km). However, only a small part of these reserves falls in protected areas under the Forest Department leaving the rest exposed to rampant deforestation and encroachment.

Significantly, it is the reserve forests and not the protected areas of wild life (sanctuaries and national parks) that form the bulk of the elephant habitat in North-East India. Of the total 41,000 sq km of elephant habitat in the North-East, only 5,927 sq km (14.46 per cent) occur in over 25 protected areas. "Unless reserve forests are upgraded with urgency, the man-elephant conflict situation will turn for the worse, " says Dr Bibhuti P Lahkar, an official of AARANYAK, who has worked extensively on elephant conservation in the region. AARANYAK is a leading bio-diversity conservation and research organisation in the region that works in close coordination with forest departments.

The reserve forests (RFs) areas in Sonitpur district of north Assam spreading up to the boundary with Arunachal Pradesh, which has been at the centre of the man-elephant conflict. Most of the reserve forests —especially those along the Arunachal border that were once prime elephant territory—have witnessed alarming deforestation.

Some of the long-term measures taken by the Assam Forest Department for the mitigation of the man-elephant conflicts included habitat improvement, restoration of key but degraded elephant corridors, study on habitat use and carrying capacity. The government of Assam has submitted a proposal to the Government of India seeking permission for capturing wild elephants to mitigate the man-elephant conflict.

Short-term measures taken to deal with the conflict include using fire and drum bears to scare way invading herds; construction of raised platform to keep vigil; use of crackers, torch lights, search lights, spotlights etc; use of trained domesticated elephants to chase way the herds; digging of trenches and construction of electric fence ; biofencing (lemon, chilies), and regular monitoring of problem herds.

Some of the long-term measures taken by the Assam Forest Department include habitat improvement, restoration of key but degraded elephant  corridors, and the study of habitat use and carrying capacity

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