250
H. Dutta and A. Hazarika
2014). This negative interaction is the most formidable challenge to wildlife conservation worldwide (Fenta 2014). The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India (2011) has recognized it as a serious problem, which needs to be
addressed with utmost priority.
In this context, elephants instigate much fear in rural communities because they
have the capacity to damage large areas of crops and property, as well as cause
human injury and death (Parker et al. 2007). For the survival of elephants in Asia,
it is necessary to properly investigate human–elephant conflict so that appropriate
mitigation strategies could be implemented (Webber et al. 2011). In India, human
conflicts with Asiatic elephants have been extensively studied from the fringes of
several protected areas; examples include Nagarahole National Park (Gubbi 2012),
Bandipur National Park (Lingaraju and Venkataramana 2014) and so on.
Asiatic elephants have also been causing severe depredations for several decades
in the fringe areas of Abhaypur Reserve Forest in Northeast India (Hazarika and Dutta
2018). But no scientific research has been undertaken around this protected area to
assess the issue. Quantitative surveys are particularly useful to identify the extent
and magnitude of human–wildlife conflicts (Kansky and Knight 2014). Therefore,
an attempt was made to assess of the problem in selected severely affected villages
located in the fringes of Abhaypur based on the public estimation of losses, and
then discuss the losses in the context of socio economic conditions. The aim was to
understand the extent of the issue by directly working with the affected people and
providing them an opportunity to mention the magnitude of human–elephant conflict
as observed by them. In addition, the study also took into account their observations
on conflict elephants and control measures applied. For this purpose, a closed–ended
questionnaire survey was undertaken in the villages that addressed all these aspects.
It was expected that the outcome would help to understand the magnitude of the
problem in the area and provide valuable inputs for the management of Asiatic
elephants and mitigation of human-elephant conflicts around Abhaypur.
2 Materials and Methods
2.1 Study Area
The Abhaypur Reserve Forest has an area of 6737.85 ha and is situated in the
Charaideo District in the state of Assam, Northeast India (Fig. 1). The Abhaypur
Range under Charaideo Forest Division is responsible for its jurisdiction. The Forest
extends up to the inter-state border between Assam and Nagaland, another Indian
state.
The study was conducted from June 2017 to January 2018 in three villages located
in the fringe areas of Abhaypur. The studied villages; viz: Gutighat (27° 0
28
N
H. Dutta and A. Hazarika
2014). This negative interaction is the most formidable challenge to wildlife conservation worldwide (Fenta 2014). The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India (2011) has recognized it as a serious problem, which needs to be
addressed with utmost priority.
In this context, elephants instigate much fear in rural communities because they
have the capacity to damage large areas of crops and property, as well as cause
human injury and death (Parker et al. 2007). For the survival of elephants in Asia,
it is necessary to properly investigate human–elephant conflict so that appropriate
mitigation strategies could be implemented (Webber et al. 2011). In India, human
conflicts with Asiatic elephants have been extensively studied from the fringes of
several protected areas; examples include Nagarahole National Park (Gubbi 2012),
Bandipur National Park (Lingaraju and Venkataramana 2014) and so on.
Asiatic elephants have also been causing severe depredations for several decades
in the fringe areas of Abhaypur Reserve Forest in Northeast India (Hazarika and Dutta
2018). But no scientific research has been undertaken around this protected area to
assess the issue. Quantitative surveys are particularly useful to identify the extent
and magnitude of human–wildlife conflicts (Kansky and Knight 2014). Therefore,
an attempt was made to assess of the problem in selected severely affected villages
located in the fringes of Abhaypur based on the public estimation of losses, and
then discuss the losses in the context of socio economic conditions. The aim was to
understand the extent of the issue by directly working with the affected people and
providing them an opportunity to mention the magnitude of human–elephant conflict
as observed by them. In addition, the study also took into account their observations
on conflict elephants and control measures applied. For this purpose, a closed–ended
questionnaire survey was undertaken in the villages that addressed all these aspects.
It was expected that the outcome would help to understand the magnitude of the
problem in the area and provide valuable inputs for the management of Asiatic
elephants and mitigation of human-elephant conflicts around Abhaypur.
2 Materials and Methods
2.1 Study Area
The Abhaypur Reserve Forest has an area of 6737.85 ha and is situated in the
Charaideo District in the state of Assam, Northeast India (Fig. 1). The Abhaypur
Range under Charaideo Forest Division is responsible for its jurisdiction. The Forest
extends up to the inter-state border between Assam and Nagaland, another Indian
state.
The study was conducted from June 2017 to January 2018 in three villages located
in the fringe areas of Abhaypur. The studied villages; viz: Gutighat (27° 0
28
N