On a quiet night of February 28, 2026, 17-year-old Pooja stepped off a bus in Bettathuru village close to Madikeri, like she had executed numerous instances earlier than. A scholar of St Michael’s College, she was only a brief stroll away from residence barely 100 metres from the sting of the forest. But what adopted was a tragedy her household and your complete village are but to return to phrases with. A wild elephant emerged immediately and attacked her. Severely injured, Pooja died on the way in which to the hospital.
The folks of Bettathuru, situated on the fringes of dense forest in North Kodagu, have lengthy lived beneath the shadow of elephant motion. For the residents, the forest is not only round them, however one thing that usually impacts their every day lives. Pooja’s demise turned that worry into anger. Villagers gathered in protest, accusing the Forest Department of ignoring repeated warnings about elephants straying into their village. Girish, Pooja’s father mentioned, “We had been informing officials about elephants roaming near our homes for months. If action had been taken in time, my daughter would still be alive. We have been protesting, but the Forest Department has not taken any action.”
Barely six weeks later, tragedy struck once more, this time in South Kodagu. On April 8, Mokalamada Rathu, a 56-year-old espresso planter from Kaiemani, was attacked by a wild elephant whereas on his strategy to his property. Like Pooja, he too succumbed to his accidents earlier than reaching hospital. These two incidents underline a grim and growing actuality within the forested hills of Kodagu. Human–animal conflict is not occasional however a persistent and deeply feared menace shaping on a regular basis life.
““If we are serious about reducing conflict, we must confront the underlying drivers directly, rather than relying on solutions that are easier to promote but ineffective on the ground”Sanjay Gubbi,senior scientist and conservationist
Official information accessed by The Hindu reveals that 47 folks have misplaced their lives resulting from animal assaults over the previous 5 years in Kodagu, making it one of many worst-affected districts in Karnataka, on a par with Chamarajanagar district. The district has repeatedly discovered itself within the headlines for such incidents, with residents blaming each the Forest Department and the federal government for failing to deal with the difficulty successfully. There have additionally been situations of leopards and tigers attacking folks throughout totally different elements of the district, including layers of worry and unpredictability.
A statewide crisis
The crisis, nevertheless, isn’t confined to Kodagu. Across Karnataka, districts bordering forests are witnessing an increase in human–animal conflict. Between 2021-22 and 2025-26, the State has recorded 259 deaths resulting from animal assaults. Apart from Kodagu and Chamarajanagar, districts reminiscent of Mysuru, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru district function prominently within the checklist of fatalities. The numbers peaked at 65 deaths in 2023-24, dipped barely to 46 in 2024-25, and have already reached 49 within the present 12 months.
In Hassan district, the size of the crisis is clear within the recurring tragedies that unfold in its rural belts. Raja Shetti, a 65-year-old farmer, was on his strategy to his farmland at Kanaguppe in Belur taluk of Hassan district early on the morning of April 12 when he encountered a tusker. The animal trampled him to demise. Members of the Elephant Task Force had alerted native residents a couple of tusker roaming close to the village the earlier night. However, the tragedy struck within the early morning hours, earlier than ETF personnel might observe the animal’s newest place and warn the general public.
Experts level to a mixture of ecological adjustments and human exercise as the foundation causes of this escalating conflict.
Raja Shetti’s demise is the most recent in a collection of fatalities reported within the area in recent times. Whenever such incidents happen, folks stage protests, block site visitors, increase slogans towards the Forest Department and demand a everlasting answer to the escalating human-elephant conflict.
The taluks of Sakaleshpur, Belur and Alur in Hassan district type the core of this conflict zone. Several elephant herds roam throughout these areas, conserving residents in a state of fixed worry. The assaults have claimed lives throughout all age teams — from youngsters to the aged. Parents stay anxious till their youngsters return residence safely from college. Elephant herds ceaselessly trample via agricultural fields, destroying crops and inflicting heavy losses on farmers.
The crisis extends to the neighbouring district of Chikkamagaluru as nicely. At Hunasehalli village, two folks died inside a single week in elephant assaults in February this 12 months. Both victims have been agricultural labourers — Boramma, 45, from Kudligi taluk in Vijayanagara district, and Yallappa from Hangal taluk of Haveri district — who had travelled to Chikkamagaluru to work in espresso estates. Last October, two extra individuals, Umesh Gowda and Harish Shetty, died close to Kerekatte in Sringeri taluk, reportedly whereas they’d gone to gather fodder for his or her cattle.
Such repeated tragedies have resulted in residents of each Hassan and Chikkamagaluru demanding that the State and Central governments seize and translocate elephants roaming in human habitations.
“Four decades ago, elephants rarely entered human habitations, but today their movement into farmlands and settlements has become frequent”Raman Sukumar,elephant biologist and professor at IISc
Chikkamagaluru has additionally witnessed deaths in Indian gaur assaults. On April 18, Chetan, 30, was gored to demise by an Indian gaur at an property in Marasanige, Kalasa taluk. He succumbed to his accidents on the way in which to hospital, because the animal’s horns had pierced his stomach. In a separate incident, a farmer misplaced his life in an analogous assault at Haluvalli in the identical taluk. Locals have been demanding the seize and relocation of Indian gaurs as nicely.
In response to the growing unrest, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who additionally holds cost of Hassan district, lately chaired a evaluation assembly with Forest Department officers to deal with the human-elephant conflict. He known as for improved elephant monitoring and advance public alerts when elephants method human settlements. The Forest Department has deployed native personnel in process forces and is utilizing drones to observe herd actions. GPS-enabled radio collars have additionally been fitted on a number of elephants to trace their actions extra successfully.
Understanding rising conflict
Experts level to a mixture of ecological adjustments and human exercise as the foundation causes of this escalating conflict. The growth of plantations, infrastructure tasks, and human settlements has progressively decreased and fragmented wildlife habitats.
“Traditional elephant corridors have been disrupted, forcing animals to move through villages and farmlands. At the same time, crops such as paddy and banana attract elephants, drawing them closer to human habitation. Changing climate patterns and availability of water sources are also believed to influence animal movement, further complicating the situation,” an professional working carefully with the federal government instructed The Hindu.
Speaking to The Hindu, Sanjay Gubbi, senior scientist and conservationist, mentioned that lowering human-wildlife conflict is central to the way forward for conservation in Karnataka and throughout India. He identified {that a} important proportion of human fatalities is linked to species reminiscent of elephants, leopards, tigers, sloth bears and crocodiles, and careworn that the difficulty should be addressed via knowledgeable, science-based approaches.
At its core, Gubbi defined, the conflict is pushed by habitat loss and fragmentation, depletion of pure prey, and in some landscapes, rising wildlife populations and not using a corresponding growth of habitat. He cited examples from Nagarahole and Bandipur, the place rising tiger and elephant numbers are inserting further stress on the already restricted area.
No one-size-fits-all answer
Gubbi emphasised that there isn’t any one-size-fits-all answer to the issue, and that responses should be site- and species-specific. He known as for clear land-use zonation that prioritises conservation in crucial habitats and warned towards additional diversion of key wildlife areas. Projects that submerge elephant habitats, such because the proposed Mekedatu dam, he mentioned, might intensify conflict in areas like Ramanagara and Mandya. He additionally cautioned towards indiscriminate seize and translocation of animals reminiscent of the massive variety of leopards captured within the Mysuru division, which regularly worsens conflict, as animals try and return via unfamiliar landscapes.
Reducing human-wildlife conflict is central to the way forward for conservation in Karnataka and throughout India
| Photo Credit:
M.A. SRIRAM
“Excessive manipulation of wildlife habitats, such as artificial waterholes and grassland creation, must be curtailed, as it artificially boosts animal numbers without expanding available habitat. The removal of senna and lantana is often projected as a solution to human-wildlife conflict, largely driven by sections of the environmental sector. However, there is no clear scientific evidence linking invasive species directly to conflict. There is also a need to curb prey poaching to ensure adequate natural prey for large carnivores, especially in non-protected and human-dominated landscapes where poaching remains severe. The focus must be on securing habitats, maintaining healthy prey populations, and implementing evidence-based strategies rather than relying on quick fixes,” Gubbi defined.
He additional noticed that {many professional} conservation organisations are overlooking the important thing drivers of human–wildlife conflict and, in some instances, selling short-term and ineffective options. He pointed to the scenario in Hassan district for example, noting that regardless of a number of scientific research figuring out habitat loss and fragmentation as the first causes of human-elephant conflict, this basic difficulty has usually been sidelined. As a consequence, he mentioned, the conflict has intensified and expanded into new areas reminiscent of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and elements of Mudigere.
He underlined the necessity for conservation actions to be guided by proof slightly than narratives formed by funding priorities or visibility. “If we are serious about reducing conflict, we must confront the underlying drivers directly, rather than relying on solutions that are easier to promote but ineffective on the ground,” he mentioned.
Government pushes new measures
Meanwhile, the Karnataka authorities, In the March 2026 Budget, proposed the Karnataka Man-Animal Conflict Mitigation Programme with an outlay of ₹1,500 crore over the subsequent 5 years. The authorities has already spent ₹1,044 crore previously three years on compensation, creation of elephant and leopard process forces, set up of photo voltaic fencing, trenching, and different protecting measures.
More lately Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has proposed the institution of an Elephant Reserve, or Aane Dhama, as a long-term answer to the crisis. However, the proposal is but to obtain approval from the Central authorities, delaying its implementation.
Mr. Khandre mentioned that round 300 wild elephants are at present exterior forest areas, largely transferring via plantations and farmlands, resulting in frequent human–animal conflict. “The proposed Aane Dhama aims to rehabilitate such elephants. However, capturing even a single elephant is a major logistical challenge, and we must ensure that no lives are lost in the process,” he mentioned.
He added that a number of mitigation measures are being carried out, together with rail barricades, elephant-proof trenches and speedy response groups. “Our frontline staff and elephant task force teams are constantly on the ground to manage conflict situations,” he mentioned.
The Minister additionally sought cooperation from folks residing close to forest areas. “If residents follow the guidelines issued during conflict situations, such incidents can be prevented and the situation can be handled more effectively,” he mentioned.
Speaking to The Hindu, Prof Raman Sukumar, a elephant biologist and professor on the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, mentioned that Aane Dhama could possibly be step.
“Four decades ago, elephants rarely entered human habitations, but today their movement into farmlands and settlements has become frequent, even in areas of Kodagu where such presence was once limited to peripheral forest zones. As per current estimates, around 300 wild elephants are outside forest areas, leading to repeated human-elephant conflict. If this trend continues, the numbers could rise further, intensifying the problem. In this context, rehabilitation is a necessary step. However, it should be part of a broader, integrated approach combining multiple measures to effectively address the issue,” he mentioned.