Unveiling the Elephant Deaths Paradox in India's Human-Wildlife Conflict Landscape

In the lush forests of Assam's Sonitpur district, a startling discovery has emerged from two decades of meticulous data analysis: organized efforts to monitor and guard crops against elephants have paradoxically correlated with higher elephant mortality rates. This finding, detailed in a groundbreaking study published in Conservation Biology on January 7, 2026, challenges long-held assumptions in wildlife management and underscores the complexities of human-elephant conflict (HEC) mitigation strategies across India.

The research, led by a team including economists from the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Delhi Center, reveals that antidepredation squads (ADS)—community-based groups trained to chase elephants away from farmlands using noise and lights—were associated with 2.0 to 2.9 times more elephant deaths per year in intervened villages compared to non-intervened ones. While human deaths showed no conclusive decline, this unintended consequence highlights the urgent need for evidence-based conservation practices.

Deep Dive into the Sonitpur Study: Methods and Revelatory Data

Spanning 1999 to 2018, the study analyzed records from 850 villages in Sonitpur, a hotspot for HEC due to its proximity to elephant habitats and tea estates. Researchers constructed 'elephant natural habitat areas' (ENHA) and movement paths using land-use data and GPS surveys to define the population of interest (POI)—villages exposed to elephants.

Key statistics paint a stark picture: across the POI, baseline rates were 1.3 human deaths and 0.6 elephant deaths per 100 villages annually. In ADS villages post-implementation, elephant deaths surged by approximately 2.0 per 100 villages yearly, with accidental causes like electrocution, falls into ditches, and train collisions accounting for a 1.8 increase. Over 14 years of ADS activity, this could equate to 14 additional elephant deaths.

• 87 villages received ADS between 2004 and 2018.
• Pre-ADS ADS villages: 4.1 human and 2.1 elephant deaths per 100 villages/year.
• Post-ADS: Elephant deaths rose significantly; human impact inconclusive.

Employing linear fixed-effects regressions, difference-in-differences, and Poisson models, the team controlled for land-use changes, economic growth, spillover effects, and selection bias (ADS often placed after deaths). Dynamic analyses confirmed consistent elephant mortality increases across ADS 'ages' (1-14 years).

Broader Context: Escalating Human-Elephant Conflict Across India

India hosts about 30,000 Asian elephants (Elephas maximus indicus), classified as Endangered by the IUCN. Yet, HEC claims nearly 500 human lives annually, with elephant deaths around 100. From 2021-24, 1,783 humans and 341 elephants perished, per government reports. Odisha topped 2024-25 with 171 human deaths, followed by Assam and Jharkhand.

Project Elephant, launched in 1992 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), aims to enhance habitat security and monitor populations via radio-collaring and censuses. The 2025 Wildlife Institute of India (WII) report estimates 22,446 elephants using DNA baselines, but conflicts persist amid habitat loss—forests shrank 7% in key areas from 2000-2024.

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Regional Insights: Jharkhand's Mortality Trends Echo National Concerns

A complementary Frontiers study on Jharkhand (2000-2023) documented 225 elephant deaths, 152 anthropogenic—electrocution dominant (67 cases). Hotspots like Ranchi division saw peaks in 2022, linked to fragmentation: forest cover dropped from 48,440 to 41,194 sq km, built-up areas surged 39%.

Authors from Wildlife Institute of India (WII, Dehradun) and AcSIR used satellite data, kernel density mapping, and GLMs to link deaths to roads, railways, and water proximity. Monsoon peaks (56 deaths) align with crop-raiding seasons.

Primary Causes of Elephant Mortality: Beyond Conflict

Electrocution tops lists (28 in Kerala 2022-25 alone), followed by train hits (36 in Assam decade to 2024), poisoning, poaching. Karnataka studies blame trenches (injuries) and solar fences (25% deaths).

• Habitat Loss: Crop expansion fragments corridors; 101 identified, many blocked.
• Infrastructure: Railways kill via speeding trains; AI pilots now detect via infrasound.
• Retaliation/Accidents: Guarding chases push elephants into hazards.

Read the full Sonitpur study here.

Explaining the Paradox: Landscape of Fear and Behavioral Shifts

ADS create a 'landscape of fear,' startling elephants into erratic flights toward perils like sagging wires or tracks. No retaliatory killings post-human deaths were evident, but accidental fatalities rose. Trade-off? Better crop protection (data lacking), but at elephant cost.

ISI Delhi's E. Somanathan notes: Rigorous evaluations indispensable, urging nonlethal alternatives.

Stakeholder Perspectives: From Researchers to Policymakers

WWF-India collaborators emphasize multi-perspective views. WII experts advocate corridor restoration. Odisha's 624 human casualties (2015-25) prompt calls for better monitoring. Universities like Tezpur (near Sonitpur) contribute via field studies.

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Innovative Solutions: AI, Fences, and Habitat Restoration

• AI Monitoring: Infrasound detectors prevent train deaths; pilots in Assam saved lives.
• Electric Fences: Proven crop barriers without chases.
• Habitat Linkages: Secure 101 corridors under Project Elephant.
• Community Incentives: Eco-development committees compensate losses.

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Policy Implications and Project Elephant's Path Forward

MoEFCC must integrate study findings into Project Elephant 2.0, prioritizing evaluations. Budgets rose (Bihar Rs 8012 Cr 2026), funding tech. Balanced views: Guarding aids farmers, but refine to save elephants.

Photo by Albert Bernet on Unsplash

Future Outlook: Role of Indian Higher Education in Wildlife Research

Institutions like ISI Delhi, WII, IISERs lead, training via PhDs, postdocs. Trends: Genomic surveillance, climate modeling. Actionable: Pursue postdoc positions, rate profs at Rate My Professor. Solutions exist—evidence drives them.

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