Human-Elephant Conflict in Asia
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HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT IN ASIA Ajay A. Desai and Heidi S. Riddle June 2015 Supported by: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Asian Elephant Support Summary Human-elephant conflict (HEC) is a complex interaction between humans and elephants, and represents the detrimental impact both species have on each other. However, for the purpose of this project, the use of the term ‘HEC’ will imply the detrimental impact that elephants have on humans. This takes the form of crop raiding and property damage, and also involves manslaughter and injury to people. The most common negative interaction between human and elephants in this context is crop raiding. Consequently crop raiding will be the most referred to aspect when HEC is mentioned. Any adverse impacts humans have on elephants will be specifically mentioned. HEC has been identified as a major threat to elephant conservation by allAsian Elephant Range State governments (AsERSM, 2006). All 13 Asian Elephant Range States have experienced HEC and loss of human life due to elephants. Elephant deaths due to retaliatory killing by people have been reported by most Range States (AsERSM, 2006). HEC adversely affects the people who live in and around elephant habitat. It also adversely affects elephants and undermines efforts to conserve the species. The greatest danger HEC poses to elephants is the antagonism it generates among local communities towards elephant conservation. If elephant conservation is to succeed in Asia, then HEC will have to be resolved, or the conflict minimized to the point where it becomes tolerable to local communities. There are two main constraints in planning and implementing HEC mitigation; one is the absence of a problem analysis guide that helps people work through the complexities of HEC to determine the multiple levels at which different types of interventions are needed. Second is the absence of a comprehensive information source on the different methods (interventions) available for conflict mitigation and how they need to be implemented. Additionally, in the absence of such a document, gaps in our collective conservation knowledge cannot be determined. This results in science being stuck in a cycle where replication of poorly designed studies is common, comprehensive approaches to resolving ambiguity are lacking, gaps in knowledge are not identified and hence not studied, and research priorities are not identified. The goal of this project was to review existing HEC mitigation efforts in all 13 Asian elephant range countries by reviewing documents, research papers, and meeting reports about HEC, synthesizing the information, and preparing a comprehensive guide that identifies the best approaches and methods to mitigating HEC and acts as the basis for planning and implementing HEC mitigation efforts. This document can also effectively channel research to cover gaps in knowledge on HEC and its mitigation across Asia. Background Asian elephants are listed in the ‘Endangered’ category in the IUCN/Red List (IUCN, 2008) and in threat of local extinction in some range countries. Threats such as habitat loss, fragmentation of elephant populations, human elephant conflicts (HEC), and the illegal killing of elephants require various efforts to ensure the conservation of Asian elephants. HEC has been identified as a major threat to elephant conservation by allAsian Elephant Range State governments (AsERSM, 2006). All 13 Asian Elephant Range States have experienced 2 HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT IN ASIA HEC and loss of human life due to elephants. Elephant deaths due to retaliatory killing by people have been reported by most Range States (AsERSM, 2006). HEC adversely affects the people who live in and around elephant habitat. It also adversely affects elephants and undermines efforts to conserve the species. The greatest danger HEC poses to elephants is the antagonism it generates among local communities towards elephant conservation. If elephant conservation is to succeed in Asia, then HEC will have to be resolved, or the conflict minimized to the point where it becomes tolerable to local communities. While HEC mitigation has been a major component of elephant conservation and wildlife management across the Asian elephant range for the past several decades (AsERSM, 2006), the problem has not been resolved so far. The problem has not only persisted but has escalated over time. For example, in Sri Lanka nearly 150 elephants were being killed annually in the 1950s and this has remained true even in the late 1990s (Desai, 1998); most of the deaths were conflict related. In India, Project Elephant, a project dedicated to the conservation of elephants in the country, spends nearly 60 to 70% of its budget directly or indirectly on HEC mitigation. In spite of this HEC has escalated and the number of people killed by elephants is over 400 per year now; it was approximately 200 in the 1980s (Rangarajan et al., 2010). Even at the national level HEC is a serious problem; in India an estimated 0.8 to 1 million hectares of agricultural land is affected by crop raiding by elephants (Rangarajan et al., 2010). This would represent nearly 500,000 to 1 million families being adversely affected by elephants. What is apparent is that far from resolving HEC the conflict situation has become far more serious. The primary reason for the failure of current HEC mitigation efforts has been the absence of a science- based approach to resolving the problem. HEC mitigation is currently being addressed in an ad hoc and disparate manner. Individual farmers, communities, government officials (wildlife or community related) at various levels, research institutes/NGOs working with people or wildlife, and even individual researchers are all attempting to mitigate HEC. The primary focus of HEC mitigation has been limited to preventing elephants from raiding crops. The complexities of HEC do not allow such a simplistic approach in all cases and that is the major failing for most HEC mitigation efforts. Furthermore, the complexities of HEC have not been taken into consideration in most if not all HEC mitigation efforts and HEC research. In the absence of a comprehensive understanding and approach to HEC mitigation, the bulk of the efforts have failed; HEC has not been reduced across the Asian elephant range. While a few projects claim successes in their attempt to resolve HEC, these claims themselves are indicators that there is often a failure to comprehend the real issue. Given the large home range sizes of elephants and the size of elephant landscapes, any successes are applicable over only a very small fraction of the landscape or home range. No elephant inhabited landscape has successfully resolved HEC in a meaningful way. The primary focus of HEC mitigation has been limited to preventing elephants from raiding crops. The major reason for failure is the absence of a problem analysis approach that examines and addresses the complex factors that contribute to HEC in a given area. HEC mitigation efforts have been seriously hampered by two reasons: first, the absence of a comprehensive guide on conflict mitigation that addresses all the complexities of HEC.This has meant that most people start off without knowing which tools are available or how best to apply these tools. And second, by the absence of a critical review of the various conflict mitigation methods that are available across Asia. This results in people being unable to make information-based choices, or being forced to make choices based on poorly analyzed data or poorly designed studies. HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT IN ASIA 3 Acknowledgements The following persons are thanked for providing information and useful discussions: Wahdi Azmi, Pranjal Bezbarua, Ahimsa Campos Arceiz, Prithiviraj Fernando, Donny Gunaryadi, Jayantha Jayewardene, Jayanta Kumar Das, Richard Lair, Peter Leimgruber, Zaw Min Oo, Samiul Mohsanin, Alexander Mossbrucker, Nazaruddin, Nurzhafarina Othman, Elisabet Purastuti, Debapratim Saha, U Saw Htun, Tuy Sereivathana, Naresh Subedi, Sonam Wangdi, Ha Thi Yen, Li (Aster) Zhang. Cover photo: Bull elephant crossing through oil palm plantation in Riau Province, Sumatra. Photo by Ajay A. Desai, WWF-Indonesia Acronyms and Abbreviations EIA – Environmental Impact Assessment HEC – Human-Elephant Conflict INGO – International Non-Governmental Organization MER – Managed Elephant Range NGO – Non-Governmental Organization NP – National Park PA – Protected Area 4 HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT IN ASIA Table of Contents ▶ Section 1 – Considerations for Human-Elephant Conflict......................................6 Factors that Contribute to Human-Elephant Conflict......................................................................6 Types of Human-Elephant Conflict Situations...............................................................................14 ▶ Section 2 – Addressing Root Causes of Human-Elephant Conflict......................19 Addressing Habitat Loss, Fragmentation, and Degradation..........................................................19 Addressing Agricultural Area - Elephant Habitat Interface...........................................................25 Addressing Elephant Population Related Issues............................................................................30 ▶ Section 3 – Containing Human-Elephant Conflict.................................................32 Guarding........................................................................................................................................32 Barriers and