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Human-Elephant Conflicts Drive South Indian Farmers Into Poverty
Published on November 25, 2024 by Alex Ip

NEW: Climate change has forced elephants in southern India to move away from their natural habitat, leading to increased conflict with farmers. One trampled farmer V. Rakesh Sharma's father, and when his mother rushed in to chase it away, it trampled her too.

This land used to thrive, producing bountiful harvests of groundnuts, chilies, and other Indigenous vegetables. Now Sharma and his brother avoid going to the fields "because it brings back painful memories of our parents' death," he told The Xylom.

How have these wildlife conflicts affected the lives of farmers? Why is government compensation not welcomed by the locals? What could be the long and short-term solutions?

This is the second story in our two-part series “No Place To Call Home” on human-wildlife conflicts in India due to a changing climate.