On a quiet evening of February 28, 2026, 17-year-old Pooja stepped off a bus in Bettathuru village near Madikeri, like she had done countless times before. A student of St Michael’s College, she was just a short walk away from home barely 100 metres from the edge of the forest. But what followed was a tragedy her family and the entire village are yet to come to terms with. A wild elephant emerged suddenly and attacked her. Severely injured, Pooja died on the way to the hospital.

The people of Bettathuru, located on the fringes of dense forest in North Kodagu, have long lived under the shadow of elephant movement. For the residents, the forest is not just around them, but something that often affects their daily lives. Pooja’s death turned that fear into anger. Villagers gathered in protest, accusing the Forest Department of ignoring repeated warnings about elephants straying into their village. Girish, Pooja’s father said, “We had been informing officials about elephants roaming near our homes for months. If action had been taken in time, my daughter would still be alive. We have been protesting, but the Forest Department has not taken any action.”

Barely six weeks later, tragedy struck again, this time in South Kodagu. On April 8, Mokalamada Rathu, a 56-year-old coffee planter from Kaiemani, was attacked by a wild elephant while on his way to his estate. Like Pooja, he too succumbed to his injuries before reaching hospital. These two incidents underline a grim and growing reality in the forested hills of Kodagu. Human–animal conflict is no longer occasional but a persistent and deeply feared threat shaping everyday life.

Official data accessed by The Hindu shows that 47 people have lost their lives due to animal attacks over the past five years in Kodagu, making it one of the worst-affected districts in Karnataka, on a par with Chamarajanagar district. The district has repeatedly found itself in the headlines for such incidents, with residents blaming both the Forest Department and the government for failing to address the issue effectively. There have also been instances of leopards and tigers attacking people across different parts of the district, adding layers of fear and unpredictability.

A statewide crisis

The crisis, however, is not confined to Kodagu. Across Karnataka, districts bordering forests are witnessing a rise in human–animal conflict. Between 2021-22 and 2025-26, the State has recorded 259 deaths due to animal attacks. Apart from Kodagu and Chamarajanagar, districts such as Mysuru, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru district feature prominently in the list of fatalities. The numbers peaked at 65 deaths in 2023-24, dipped slightly to 46 in 2024-25, and have already reached 49 in the current year.

In Hassan district, the scale of the crisis is evident in the recurring tragedies that unfold in its rural belts. Raja Shetti, a 65-year-old farmer, was on his way to his farmland at Kanaguppe in Belur taluk of Hassan district early on the morning of April 12 when he encountered a tusker. The animal trampled him to death. Members of the Elephant Task Force had alerted local residents about a tusker roaming near the village the previous evening. However, the tragedy struck in the early morning hours, before ETF personnel could track the animal’s latest position and warn the public.

Experts point to a combination of ecological changes and human activity as the root causes of this escalating conflict.

Raja Shetti’s death is the latest in a series of fatalities reported in the region in recent years. Whenever such incidents occur, people stage protests, block traffic, raise slogans against the Forest Department and demand a permanent solution to the escalating human-elephant conflict.

The taluks of Sakaleshpur, Belur and Alur in Hassan district form the core of this conflict zone. Several elephant herds roam across these areas, keeping residents in a state of constant fear. The attacks have claimed lives across all age groups — from children to the elderly. Parents remain anxious until their children return home safely from school. Elephant herds frequently trample through agricultural fields, destroying crops and inflicting heavy losses on farmers.

The crisis extends to the neighbouring district of Chikkamagaluru as well. At Hunasehalli village, two people died within a single week in elephant attacks in February this year. Both victims were agricultural labourers — Boramma, 45, from Kudligi taluk in Vijayanagara district, and Yallappa from Hangal taluk of Haveri district — who had travelled to Chikkamagaluru to work in coffee estates. Last October, two more persons, Umesh Gowda and Harish Shetty, died near Kerekatte in Sringeri taluk, reportedly while they had gone to collect fodder for their cattle.

Such repeated tragedies have resulted in residents of both Hassan and Chikkamagaluru demanding that the State and Central governments capture and translocate elephants roaming in human habitations.

“Four decades ago, elephants rarely entered human habitations, but today their movement into farmlands and settlements has become frequent”Raman Sukumar,elephant biologist and professor at IISc

Chikkamagaluru has also witnessed deaths in Indian gaur attacks. On April 18, Chetan, 30, was gored to death by an Indian gaur at an estate in Marasanige, Kalasa taluk. He succumbed to his injuries on the way to hospital, as the animal’s horns had pierced his abdomen. In a separate incident, a farmer lost his life in a similar attack at Haluvalli in the same taluk. Locals have been demanding the capture and relocation of Indian gaurs as well.

In response to the growing unrest, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who also holds charge of Hassan district, recently chaired a review meeting with Forest Department officials to address the human-elephant conflict. He called for improved elephant tracking and advance public alerts when elephants approach human settlements. The Forest Department has deployed local personnel in task forces and is using drones to monitor herd movements. GPS-enabled radio collars have also been fitted on several elephants to track their movements more effectively.

Understanding rising conflict

Experts point to a combination of ecological changes and human activity as the root causes of this escalating conflict. The expansion of plantations, infrastructure projects, and human settlements has gradually reduced and fragmented wildlife habitats.

“Traditional elephant corridors have been disrupted, forcing animals to move through villages and farmlands. At the same time, crops such as paddy and banana attract elephants, drawing them closer to human habitation. Changing climate patterns and availability of water sources are also believed to influence animal movement, further complicating the situation,” an expert working closely with the government told The Hindu.

Speaking to The Hindu, Sanjay Gubbi, senior scientist and conservationist, said that reducing human-wildlife conflict is central to the future of conservation in Karnataka and across India. He pointed out that a significant proportion of human fatalities is linked to species such as elephants, leopards, tigers, sloth bears and crocodiles, and stressed that the issue must be addressed through informed, science-based approaches.

At its core, Gubbi explained, the conflict is driven by habitat loss and fragmentation, depletion of natural prey, and in some landscapes, increasing wildlife populations without a corresponding expansion of habitat. He cited examples from Nagarahole and Bandipur, where rising tiger and elephant numbers are placing additional pressure on the already limited space.

No one-size-fits-all solution

Gubbi emphasised that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem, and that responses must be site- and species-specific. He called for clear land-use zonation that prioritises conservation in critical habitats and warned against further diversion of key wildlife areas. Projects that submerge elephant habitats, such as the proposed Mekedatu dam, he said, could intensify conflict in regions like Ramanagara and Mandya. He also cautioned against indiscriminate capture and translocation of animals such as the large number of leopards captured in the Mysuru division, which often worsens conflict, as animals attempt to return through unfamiliar landscapes.

Reducing human-wildlife conflict is central to the future of conservation in Karnataka and across India
| Photo Credit:
M.A. SRIRAM

“Excessive manipulation of wildlife habitats, such as artificial waterholes and grassland creation, must be curtailed, as it artificially boosts animal numbers without expanding available habitat. The removal of senna and lantana is often projected as a solution to human-wildlife conflict, largely driven by sections of the environmental sector. However, there is no clear scientific evidence linking invasive species directly to conflict. There is also a need to curb prey poaching to ensure adequate natural prey for large carnivores, especially in non-protected and human-dominated landscapes where poaching remains severe. The focus must be on securing habitats, maintaining healthy prey populations, and implementing evidence-based strategies rather than relying on quick fixes,” Gubbi explained.

He further observed that many professional conservation organisations are overlooking the key drivers of human–wildlife conflict and, in some cases, promoting short-term and ineffective solutions. He pointed to the situation in Hassan district as an example, noting that despite multiple scientific studies identifying habitat loss and fragmentation as the primary causes of human-elephant conflict, this fundamental issue has often been sidelined. As a result, he said, the conflict has intensified and expanded into new regions such as Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and parts of Mudigere.

He underlined the need for conservation actions to be guided by evidence rather than narratives shaped by funding priorities or visibility. “If we are serious about reducing conflict, we must confront the underlying drivers directly, rather than relying on solutions that are easier to promote but ineffective on the ground,” he said.

Government pushes new measures

Meanwhile, the Karnataka government, In the March 2026 Budget, proposed the Karnataka Man-Animal Conflict Mitigation Programme with an outlay of ₹1,500 crore over the next five years. The government has already spent ₹1,044 crore in the past three years on compensation, creation of elephant and leopard task forces, installation of solar fencing, trenching, and other protective measures.

More recently Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has proposed the establishment of an Elephant Reserve, or Aane Dhama, as a long-term solution to the crisis. However, the proposal is yet to receive approval from the Central government, delaying its implementation.

Mr. Khandre said that around 300 wild elephants are currently outside forest areas, largely moving through plantations and farmlands, leading to frequent human–animal conflict. “The proposed Aane Dhama aims to rehabilitate such elephants. However, capturing even a single elephant is a major logistical challenge, and we must ensure that no lives are lost in the process,” he said.

He added that multiple mitigation measures are being implemented, including rail barricades, elephant-proof trenches and rapid response teams. “Our frontline staff and elephant task force teams are constantly on the ground to manage conflict situations,” he said.

The Minister also sought cooperation from people living near forest areas. “If residents follow the guidelines issued during conflict situations, such incidents can be prevented and the situation can be handled more effectively,” he said.

Speaking to The Hindu, Prof Raman Sukumar, a elephant biologist and professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, said that Aane Dhama could be a good step.

“Four decades ago, elephants rarely entered human habitations, but today their movement into farmlands and settlements has become frequent, even in areas of Kodagu where such presence was once limited to peripheral forest zones. As per current estimates, around 300 wild elephants are outside forest areas, leading to repeated human-elephant conflict. If this trend continues, the numbers could rise further, intensifying the problem. In this context, rehabilitation is a necessary step. However, it should be part of a broader, integrated approach combining multiple measures to effectively address the issue,” he said.