FOSTERING HUMAN-ELEPHANT COEXISTENCE STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY TOLERANCE TOWARDS WILD ELEPHANTS IN THE CENTRAL CHURE-TERAI MADHESH LANDSCAPE OF NEPAL.

CONSERVING LARGE MAMMALS REQUIRING LARGE LANDSCAPE FOR RANGING AND DISPERSAL IN HUMAN DOMINATED LANDSCAPE IS BECOMING A DAUNTING TASK FOR NEPAL.

CHURE TERAI MADHESH LANDSCAPE (CTML) OF NEPAL IS FRAGMENTED BUT STILL SUPPORTS VIABLE POPULATIONS OF ASIAN ELEPHANTS (230 RESIDENTIAL) TIGERS (355) AND RHINOCEROS (745) AND ALL THESE POPULATIONS ARE INCREASING. WITH INCREASING WILD ELEPHANT POPULATIONS IN CTML HUMAN ELEPHANT CONFLICT (HEC) IS ALSO ON RISE.

TO MANAGE HEC AT LANDSCAPE LEVEL REQUIRES GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEM AND CONCERTED EFFORTS WITH MULTISTAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.

IN 2023 TOTAL 12672 CASES OF HUMAN WILDLIFE CONFLICT (HWC) CASES RECORDED IN NEPAL AND 2058 WERE CAUSED BY WILD ELEPHANTS. OUT OF 274 HUMAN ATTACKS 44 WERE FROM WILD ELEPHANTS.

THE CENTRAL CTML THAT INCLUDES CHITWAN AND PARSA NATIONAL PARKS OF NEPAL VALMIKI TIGER RESERVE OF INDIA AND CORRIDOR FORESTS SUPPORTS 80 WILD ELEPHANTS THAT INCREASED FROM 13 INDIVIDUALS IN 1980S.

HABITAT FRAGMENTATION AND LOSS INCREASED INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND HUMAN POPULATION INCREMENT HAS FUELED HEC IN THE LANDSCAPE. HEC IN CENTRAL CTML HAS INCREASED ABRUPTLY IN THE RECENT YEARS. FOR EXAMPLE OUT OF 2058 HEC CASES 40 PERCENT WERE RECORDED IN CENTRAL CTML. HEC IS LARGELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE BEHAVIOR OF LOCAL PEOPLE TOWARDS ELEPHANTS AND RESPONSE CAPACITY