Kerala's Elephant-Human Conflict: 21 Villages Identified as High-Risk Zones
A new report identifies 21 Kerala villages as high-incidence zones for human-elephant conflict, with 581 deaths recorded since 2008.
A comprehensive study by the Wildlife Institute of India has mapped the persistent hotspots of human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Kerala, identifying 21 villages as high-incidence zones. The report, covering the period from 2008 to 2025, recorded a total of 1,781 conflict incidents, resulting in 581 human deaths and 1,200 injuries across the state.
Among the 214 villages that reported incidents, the majority (175) were classified as low-incidence areas with fewer than 10 cases. Eighteen villages were placed in the medium category (10-20 incidents), while the 21 high-incidence villages each recorded more than 20 casualties. Notable persistent hotspots include Kanan Devan Hills, Kuttampuzha, Chittar, Mankulam, Padavayal, and Peechi.
The Ranni forest division emerged as the most affected, with 169 recorded HEC cases, followed by Munnar (144), Munnar Wildlife (138), and Nilambur North (108). The highest number of human deaths was reported in Nilambur South (78), while Kothamangalam accounted for the most injuries (164). Major conflict landscapes were identified in Nilambur, Palakkad-Mannarkkad, Munnar-Mankulam, and Kothamangalam-Periyar regions.
The report highlights electrocution as the leading anthropogenic cause of elephant deaths, claiming 154 animals. Other factors included explosive baits (12 deaths), retaliatory killings (11), poaching (7), poisoning (5), and snare traps (4).
Solitary adult males were found to be responsible for the highest proportion of incidents, particularly crop raiding and property damage. The study also noted that translocation of conflict elephants often provides only temporary relief, citing the case of Arikomban, which continued to cause conflict after being moved from Chinnakkanal in 2023.