(Dhaka, Bangladesh): In the face of changing landscapes across Bangladesh, India, and the region, elephants are emerging as silent warriors. Gradually losing their habitats and shrinking their roaming grounds and forests, they are nonetheless refusing to give up. With ancient instincts adapting to modern realities, elephants are now finding new paths on their own. Sometimes they avoid human eyes at night, and at other times, they take refuge in secluded areas during daylight.
In terms of numbers, Assam in India holds the second-largest population of Asian elephants. Over the past two decades, Assam’s forests have rapidly been transformed into tea gardens, agricultural fields, and settlements. As a result, elephants are losing their migratory routes and habitats.
To understand how elephants are adapting to these changes, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), with assistance from the Assam Forest Department, began tracking the movements of five elephants fitted with GPS collars in 2021.
Recently, WWF published a report based on this study. Initially, an elephant named Tara was fitted with a GPS collar. Later, elephants named Phool, Mainao, Budhuni, and most recently in 2024, a male elephant named Bishu were also collared.
The collected data reveals that Tara and Phool spend much of the year safely within Nameri National Park and Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary. However, from September to December—during the rice harvest season—the elephants journey southward. At night, they quietly cross farmlands to forage, and during the day, they rest in tea gardens or reserved forest areas.
Meanwhile, Mainao and Budhuni roam across forests, tea gardens, and mixed-use lands in Udalguri district near the Bhutan border. However, a significant difference between these two districts is the level of tolerance shown by local communities toward elephants.
Sonitpur district once had a high rate of retaliatory killings of elephants, where elephants were poisoned or electrocuted using high-voltage wires. Although such incidents have decreased over time, elephants are still seeking new pathways to maintain connections with the Brahmaputra River. In this region, there is a stronger tendency among people to chase elephants away from tea gardens and other areas.
In contrast, the locals of Udalguri, while using various methods to protect their crops, show much greater tolerance toward elephants. They rarely drive elephants away, which allows Mainao and Budhuni to forage even during daylight hours in the tea gardens.
Additionally, as seasons change, their herds cross into Bhutan. During the dry season, they move into Bhutan’s dense forests in search of water, while in the monsoon season, they return to India, where crops and other food sources are more readily available.
Finally, Bishu’s movements show that he frequents the river islands of the Brahmaputra and then returns. Researchers are monitoring these five GPS-collared elephants and their herds, striving to better understand how elephants are adjusting to the changing environment and evolving human attitudes and responses.
The research clearly indicates that elephants are modifying their behavior to survive. Experts believe that such insights will help design more effective, evidence-based conservation initiatives, ultimately benefiting both humans and elephants.
Author: Journalist
