Can Coorg Learn from Assam’s Elephant Coexistence Model? A Path Beyond Conflict

An AI-generated illustration depicting human–elephant coexistence, used for representational purposes only.

In a distant corner of Assam’s Nagaon district, the village of Hatikhuli-Ronghang has rewritten its relationship with wild elephants — turning a long history of crop raids and fear into one of peaceful coexistence. Once plagued by human-elephant conflicts, the community embraced a bold approach called *“Hati Bondhu” (Friends of Elephants). Rather than resorting solely to barriers or deterrents, villagers created dedicated elephant feeding zones on unused land, planting elephant-favoured grasses, paddy, and fruits. Over more than 250 acres, these elephant corridors attract the herds away from farmers’ main crops. The transformation has been striking: crop damage has declined sharply, and in eight years there have been no reported human-elephant conflict casualties in the area. 

What sets Hatikhuli apart is not just the ecological outcome but the community spirit behind it. Farmers donated land, women and youth tended the fields, and long-standing reverence for elephants was channelled into practical coexistence strategies. These efforts have even drawn national attention, with the village highlighted as a model for balancing human needs with wildlife conservation. 

Closer to home in Kodagu, a the lush hill district of Karnataka, elephants and humans are increasingly at odds. Decades of habitat fragmentation, declining forest cover, and the overlap of elephant corridors with agricultural lands have pushed herds into coffee estates, paddy fields, and villages. Farmers regularly report crop destruction, property damage, and threat to life, prompting urgent calls for effective solutions. 

According to wildlife reports, herds entering rural and plantation areas now cause significant economic and safety concerns for residents. In some seasons, elephants have damaged vehicles and estates, while frequent incursions fuel anxiety among daily commuters, children, and agricultural workers alike. 

Local authorities have tried a range of mitigation strategies. GPS-enabled radio collars are being used to track elephant movements and provide timely alerts to villagers. Experimental measures such as bee fences and automated elephant signal boards have also been deployed to deter elephants humanely from populated areas. However, these technical approaches — while useful — often address the symptoms of the conflict rather than its root causes.

Herein lies the possible lesson from Assam: coexistence through community-based shared landscape management. If Kodagu’s farmers, forest officials, and conservationists could collaborate to map elephant routes and create designated elephant food zones on buffer lands, it may reduce raids on crops and lower tensions on both sides. Like Hatikhuli’s model, this approach would shift from exclusion to careful coexistence — inviting elephants into planned spaces rather than driving them into conflict. 

Such a shift would not be simple. It requires sustained community buy-in, land use planning, and careful integration with existing conservation laws. But at a time when both human livelihoods and elephant safety are at stake, innovative, compassionate solutions deserve serious consideration — especially when they come from within rural India’s own communities.

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Kodagu Express.)

To advertise on The Kodagu Express website, kindly call us at 9108795369 or mail us at thekodaguexpress@gmail.com 

Join The Kodagu Express WhatsApp Group: CLICK HERE 

Follow us on Instagram and X(Twitter)