Project to assess crop losses resulting from elephant movement in UP's Terai Elephant Reserve

A new project will assess crop losses resulting from the movement of elephants in the Terai Elephant Reserve in Dudhwa-Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh and implement mitigation measures.

The Terai region in Uttar Pradesh serves as a transboundary elephant landscape where elephant herds frequently traverse between Nepal and India. Recognising the paramount importance of the landscape, it has been designated as an elephant reserve, the most recent addition in India.

However, as elephants gradually extend their habitat within the area, it becomes imperative to seek proactive solutions that ensure harmonious coexistence between the pachyderms and the local communities.

This initiative, led by WWF-India with the support of NTT Data, a global IT services provider, encompasses several key objectives, including conducting a baseline assessment of crop losses caused by elephants and other wild herbivores, establishing coordination groups to facilitate the safe passage of elephants between India and Nepal, aiding local communities in crop protection by constructing watchtowers, enhancing wetland habitats for elephants and organising health camps for captive elephants within the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.

The project's implementation will closely involve collaboration with local communities in India, with support from their counterparts in Nepal.

Yash Shethia, director of the Wildlife and Habitat Division at WWF-India, said, ''Elephants from Nepal have always traversed back and forth in the shared Terai region between our two countries. A population of elephants also resides in Dudhwa. When the herd ventures into agricultural areas, conflicts arise. This project will help us gain a better understanding and address the causes and consequences of this conflict, benefitting both elephants and local communities.'' Aritra Kshettry, national lead for elephant conservation at WWF-India, said, ''This project is a part of our long-term commitment to collaborating with the state forest department and communities to ensure that elephants and local people can coexist peacefully. The initial phase of the project will serve to gather crucial baseline data and bring together all relevant stakeholders to find collaborative solutions to mitigate the impacts of elephants on the lives and livelihoods of local residents.''

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