Elephant in the room: a case study on human-elephant conflict within Hasdeo-Arand and Mandraigarh coalfields in Chhattisgarh
Human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Chhattisgarh started with 18 elephants migrating in the late 80s from the neighbouring states of Odisha and Jharkhand and over the years the migration increased. The estimation of elephant population in 2012 stands at 247. When the elephants in search of new habitats come into contact with human populations who have no experience of how to protect themselves and their property from wild elephants, severe damage is common.