GREEN MINUTE NEWS:
Karnataka Forest Department and Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru sign a MoU for landscape-level conservation of Asian Elephants in the state. Presently, Karnataka is home to 6,395 wild elephants, making it one of the most critical elephant ranges in Asia. However, the last few decades, Karnataka has been facing acute Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) issue in the state for varied reasons.
In fact, the Mysore Elephant Reserve (MER) and surrounding coffee-growing districts are increasingly witnessing conflict, resulting in loss of human life, crop damage, and retaliatory action against elephants like poisoning, electrocution, etc.
Further, fragmentation of habitats, changing land-use patterns, and increased proximity between humans and elephants have contributed to the crisis. Despite years of mitigation efforts, conflict continues to persist and are even spreading to new areas.
JOINT COLLABORATION FOR FIVE YEARS
In a landmark step toward advancing science-based conservation of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), the Karnataka Forest Department (KFD) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru signed a MoU on Tuesday to implement a five-year collaborative project titled “Landscape-Level Management of the Asian Elephant in the Mysore Elephant Reserve.”
The KFD-IISc collaboration is at a cost of Rs 4.74 crore that is funded by the KFD for a period of five years from 2025-29. Monitoring will include biannual review meetings, annual reports, and a real-time data dashboard. Further, field sites is spread across over 15 forest divisions and protected areas in southern Karnataka.
CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY, FIELD IMPLEMENTATION
The KFD-IISc project is expected to provide a conclusive effort toward proactive, landscape-scale management by linking cutting-edge ecological research with field implementation.
This pioneering collaboration aims to generate a robust scientific foundation for mitigating human-elephant conflict (HEC) and ensuring long-term conservation of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) across Karnataka’s ecologically sensitive and conflict-prone regions.
ELEPHANT PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The project will address six core objectives:
* Strengthening Habitat Connectivity: Mapping elephant corridors and evaluating barriers to movement using satellite telemetry, camera traps, and GIS models.
* Monitoring Demographic and Physiological Health: Assessing population dynamics, body condition, and stress indicators through non-invasive sampling (e.g., dung hormone assays).
* Understanding Behavior and Conflict Propensity: Studying crop-raiding patterns, social learning, and identifying high-conflict individuals through social network analysis.
* Elephant Communication and Acoustic Monitoring: Cataloguing elephant vocalizations, particularly in conflict contexts, to develop sound-based deterrents and warning systems.
* Predictive Modelling of Conflict Hotspots: Integrating ecological and behavioural data to forecast future HEC zones under various land-use scenarios.
* Developing a 10-Year Strategic Management Plan: Creating a Conflict Mitigation Toolbox (CMT) and Strategic Action Plan (SAP) that informs policy and practice.
AREAS OF WORK
The project will be implemented across key forest divisions and protected areas spanning the Mysore Elephant Reserve, including tiger reserves, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and human-dominated agricultural landscapes.
Research activities will be jointly undertaken by IISc’s Centre for Ecological Sciences, along with other partner institutions.
PARTNER INSTITUTIONS
• Asian Nature Conservation Foundation (ANCF)
• Foundation for Ecological Research, Advocacy and Learning (FERAL)
• National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS)
The project will integrate technologies such as satellite telemetry, camera traps, acoustic sensors, and agent-based models to inform targeted interventions and improve coexistence outcomes.
PROJECT’S EXPECTED IMPACT
* First large-scale, multi-disciplinary project on elephant conservation in Karnataka integrating field science, behavioral ecology, acoustics, and land-use modelling.
* Will result in a data-driven 10-year management blueprint for MER and adjacent conflict landscapes.
* Comprehensive elephant movement and conflict hotspot maps
* Development of innovative tools such as soft-release protocols for translocated elephants, zap collars, buzzers, and community fencing.
* Emphasis on community coexistence, participatory planning, and cost-effective interventions for coffee planters and marginal farmers.
* Demographic and physiological health assessments of elephants.
Finally, the project is expected to build capacity among frontline staff, farmers, and community stakeholders through training, participatory fieldwork, and co-management initiatives for tackling the HEC issue and conserve the Asian Elephant species in the state of Karnataka.