Munnar landscape accounts for highest number of deaths in wild elephant attacks in Keralam

A recent study by the Wildlife Institute of India, conducted with the support of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has revealed that the Munnar landscape in Keralam has experienced the highest number of human fatalities caused by wild elephant attacks in the region over the past 18 years. The study, which covered the period between 2008 and 2025, recorded a total of 581 human deaths, 1,200 injuries, and 1,781 human-elephant conflict incidents resulting in either death or injury across Keralam.

Among the specific regions, Munnar led with 103 human deaths, followed by Kottayam with 88 deaths and Nilambur with 75 human fatalities. Males accounted for the majority of victims among both humans and elephants, with the monsoon season seeing the highest number of conflict incidents. The report also noted that human-elephant conflict has become a significant conservation and management challenge, exacerbated by factors such as rapid land-use changes, habitat fragmentation, expanding agriculture and plantations, and infrastructure development.

In terms of elephant deaths, 695 were recorded, with 154 attributed to anthropogenic causes and 469 to natural causes. Among the human-induced threats, electrocution was the leading cause, accounting for 154 elephant deaths, while train collisions resulted in 17 fatalities. The study also highlighted that wild elephants regularly damage around 45 species of crops in Keralam, with banana, coconut, and jackfruit being particularly attractive to elephants, leading to increased conflict.

The report recommends implementing landscape-level planning, securing elephant corridors, developing elephant-friendly infrastructure, and enhancing community-based early-warning systems to promote long-term coexistence between humans and elephants in Keralam and the broader Western Ghats.