Human deaths in wild elephant attacks in Keralam decline marginally; 4 kumki squads to be set up
Number of people injured too showed marginal decline in past five years, according to figures provided by Forest department in Assembly
Human deaths caused by wild elephant attacks in Kerala have seen a slight decrease over the past five years, according to figures from the Forest department presented in the state assembly. A total of 102 people lost their lives during this period, with numbers falling from 27 in 2022-23 to 19 in 2024-25, before stabilizing at 22 in 2025-26.
The number of people injured in such incidents also declined marginally, from 33 in 2022-23 to 22 in the current financial year. Forest Minister Shibu Baby John revealed that a series of measures have been implemented to combat human-wildlife conflicts, including AI-enabled cameras, drone squads, and a real-time SMS alert system.
These were deployed in selected regions to detect wild animals near forest boundaries and warn residents in advance. The government has also identified seven elephant corridors and plans to establish four kumki elephant squads to manage herds and mitigate conflicts.
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