Experts urge policy rethink as elephant population boom sparks escalating conflicts

[snoop1130]

 

2023 was a bloody 12 months in the ongoing saga of human-elephant conflicts in Thailand, marking the sixth consecutive year of escalating incidents. Records for 2023 show a disconcerting surge in encounters and casualties due to wild elephants across the country.

 

According to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), more than 13,000 incidents of wild elephant intrusion outside protected forest areas were reported during the 2023 fiscal year. These incidents resulted in 29 injuries, 21 deaths and extensive damage to crops and property belonging to local communities.

 

“We are living in constant fear of elephants. Though they are very intelligent animals, they are also very dangerous. They can be hostile to humans, and direct confrontations with them can be fatal,” said Wimwipa Ruangsri, a sugarcane farmer in Chachoengsao’s Sanam Chai Khet district.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-01-19

 

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[Crossy]

Catch and give the males "the snip".

 

Should make some good Youtube content!!

[Tropicalevo]

45 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Records for 2023 show a disconcerting surge in encounters and casualties due to wild elephants human encroachment across the country.

Fixed it.

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

2023 was a bloody 12 months in the ongoing saga of human-elephant conflicts in Thailand, marking the sixth consecutive year of escalating incidents. Records for 2023 show a disconcerting surge in encounters and casualties due to wild elephants across the country

The elephants show the same respect towards boundaries as humans do.

[Srikcir]

23 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

elephant intrusion outside protected forest areas

What is the reason for intrusion? Uncontrolled elephant births, over population, inadequate sanctuary space, etc.? You can't solve a problem without knowing the parameters of the problem.

• Expand the sanctuary area. Export elephants to foreign sanctuary areas.
• Culling to reduce elephant population that might not be politically or socially acceptable.
• Birth control for elephants, immunocontraception, a form of reducing births via vaccination of female elephants using porcine zona pellucida. https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/sciencebites/chapter/elephant-contraception-possible-solution-for-south-africas-elephant-problem/