How the rescue teams are stepping in to prevent deadly human-elephant conflicts

On 20th March, 2024, it was still dark in Somsachura, a remote village in Nalitabari upazila of Sherpur, when a shout rang out across the fields suddenly. "The elephants are coming!", someone yelled. Within minutes, men rushed out carrying torches and sticks, some dragging makeshift electric wires they had rigged around their crops. 

A herd of elephants, desperate for food, had entered the paddy fields again. When the power was switched on, a loud crack split the air — one elephant collapsed instantly, its trunk twitching in the mud.

By dawn, the villagers gathered around the carcass. "We had no choice," said Ismail Siddique, a farmer who had lost his last harvest to elephants only weeks before. "If we don't protect our crops, we starve. Whose life should come first — ours or theirs?"

The death of that elephant is not an isolated incident. Sadly, elephant deaths have become a recurring phenomenon in the country — even in 2025 alone, several such incidents have been recorded. Over the years, more than 20 elephants have died in the Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary and Banshkhali areas, according to the Forest Department. 

On 6 May 2025, the carcass of a baby elephant was found in East Puichhari; it was later buried in the presence of veterinarians and forest officials. On 9 May, a mutilated elephant without tusks or a trunk was recovered from the Dumdummarmukh area of Manumar Jhiri, under the jurisdiction of Pairang beat in Jaldhi, Banshkhali. Earlier, on 28 March, another elephant died after getting stuck in the mud in the jungle of Napora. On 3 February, a wild elephant was severely injured after falling from a hill in the Mitaijhiri area of Chambal beat, Jaldhi Wildlife Sanctuary Range. Despite receiving treatment, it died two days later.

Investigations by the Forest Department revealed that the elephants died from various human-induced causes — electrocution, food poisoning, and illness among them.

"It is a very risky job. But we are okay with this risk for the sake of social service. We do not want anyone to get hurt due to conflict between elephants and humans. In fact, we have some kind of love for elephants. This love drives us to put in more effort."

Hashem, Team Leader of ERT Deployed In Hajigao, Anwara

Past history of human-elephant conflicts

Between 2017 and 2021, at least 50 elephants died in human-elephant conflicts. In 2021 alone, a record 34 elephants were killed — the highest ever in a single year. Three elephants died in 2022, two in 2023.

Last year, seven elephant deaths were recorded in Ukhiya and Teknaf. The main causes included electrocution, gunshot wounds, diseases related to contaminated food, and malnutrition. 

In another tragic incident, on 15 October of the same year, a baby elephant was fatally injured after being hit by a train on the Chattogram–Cox's Bazar railway line. On 5 October 2023, the authorities recovered the body of a wild adult male elephant from a paddy field in Jhenaigati upazila. Both local residents and forest officials suspected the elephant was electrocuted by a live wire installed to protect crops.

In an attempt to prevent elephant attacks, some farmers install electrified fences around crop fields — a practice that has led to many elephant deaths. In 2021, following the first-ever case filed in Sherpur for elephant killing, four individuals were imprisoned. Authorities then imposed a ban on setting such electric traps. Although the practice briefly stopped, it has since resumed, putting elephants at further risk. 

These repeated conflicts have not only killed elephants but also claimed numerous human lives. 

According to the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, between 2019 and 2025, at least 83 people have been killed in human-elephant conflicts, 44 of them in the Chattogram division alone. From 2016 onwards, 39 people have died in Netrokona, Sherpur, and Mymensingh.

According to the Forest Department, 66 elephants have been killed and 236 people have died in human-elephant conflicts in Bangladesh over the past 14 years. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reports that Bangladesh is home to three types of elephants — resident, migratory, and captive. 

Available data suggests that until 1950, around 500 elephants roamed the country. Recent studies estimate the current number to be between 228 and 327. Apart from Chattogram and Cox's Bazar, human-elephant conflicts are also common in Sherpur, Jamalpur, and Mymensingh areas. 

Why humans and elephants are at odds

At the core of the crisis lies the destruction and shrinkage of elephant habitats. Elephants travel long distances daily in search of food; when their traditional routes are blocked, they enter villages, leading to inevitable clashes. 

When asked about the frequent clashes between humans and elephants, Firoz Alam, a resident of the Chunati area (a small village in the Chattogram district), said, "The elephants destroy people's crops. Because of this, those of us living in the hills often face food shortages. Farmers fall into debt. The elephants also destroy many of our fragile houses. Many people have been killed in elephant attacks."

Various organisations have conducted research to identify the root causes of the conflict. 

A 2022 report published by Mongabay, based on IUCN Bangladesh's research, revealed that elephants in Bangladesh traditionally used 12 migration corridors — most of which have now been encroached upon by urban expansion, refugee settlements, and infrastructure projects. Five of these corridors in Cox's Bazar have been severely affected by Rohingya refugee camps. The Dohazari–Cox's Bazar railway line, Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ), China Economic Zone, and industrial projects in Anwara and Karnaphuli have disrupted elephant routes.

Moreover, the Cox's Bazar–Teknaf highway and railway expansion are destroying natural elephant habitats and migration paths, forcing elephants into farmland and villages — leading to more frequent and deadly encounters. 

The IUCN has listed elephants as "critically endangered." According to the organisation's data, Bangladesh had approximately 268 endangered Asian elephants, mostly inhabiting Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, and the northeastern districts of Sherpur and Mymensingh.

Government initiatives to prevent further clashes 

Encouragingly, the interim government has taken multiple steps to conserve elephants and mitigate conflicts. To compensate victims of elephant attacks, injuries, or property loss, the government has so far provided Tk 10.58 crore to 2,975 individuals. Elephant Response Teams (ERT) have been formed in elephant-prone districts such as Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Sherpur, and Bandarban. These teams, comprising 159 members, receive daily allowances and necessary equipment for regular patrols.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has also initiated several awareness campaigns — distributing posters and leaflets, setting up signboards, conducting miking, organising street rallies and courtyard meetings to educate the public about elephant conservation. These programmes involve local communities, wildlife volunteers, and ERT members, who also receive training on key issues under the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act, 2012.

Six special task forces have been established in elephant-inhabited regions to prevent elephant-related crimes and ensure the protection of wild elephants and their movement.

Treatment for sick or injured elephants has also been ensured. Recently, a baby elephant injured by a train in Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary was rescued and treated. Similarly, injured elephants in Mymensingh, and Kaptai have been rehabilitated and released back into the wild. Three captive elephants exploited for illegal money collection and abuse were also rescued. 

Various development projects have been undertaken to improve elephant habitats and food availability. Under the SUFAL project and the Bangladesh Wildlife Conservation and Habitat Improvement Project, food gardens are being created in elephant-rich forest areas.

To be particular, the elephant rescue teams are doing a commendable job to circumvent human-elephant conflict.  

When asked about how much progress had been made since the formation of the ERT and how effective these teams have been, Abu Naser Mohammad Yasin Newaz, the Divisional Forest Officer of Chattogram, responded with confidence.

"The decision to form the elephant rescue teams has been extremely effective and highly successful," he said. "Since this initiative was taken, human-elephant conflicts have significantly decreased. The team members are well-trained and responsible. They monitor everything — when the elephants are approaching, whether people are crossing elephants' paths — they keep a close watch on all of it."

Yasin Newaz also mentioned that while there are currently several unofficial teams, only six are officially recognised. He added that only the members of the official teams receive government allowances and urged that the unofficial teams should also be brought under the official allowance scheme as soon as possible. 

Members of the rescue teams consider this task quite seriously. 

"Elephants live in the mountains around the locality. At night, elephants often enter the locality to eat. Our team members then inform the local people about the elephants and warn them about their movement. Later in the morning, we go and check how much food the elephants have eaten. If compensation is required in case of any damage to the local people, we help people apply for compensation to the authorities", said Hashem, team leader of the elephant rescue team (ERT) deployed in Hajigao, Anwara. 

He admitted that there are risks associated with this job, but that could not peter out their enthusiasm.  

"It is a very risky job. But we are okay with this risk for the sake of social service. We do not want anyone to get hurt due to conflict between elephants and humans. In fact, we have a kind of love for elephants. This love drives us to put in more effort", added Hashem. 

However, the only sustainable solution lies in protecting natural elephant corridors and, where necessary, developing "ecological passages" or wildlife-friendly corridors. Alongside this, raising awareness among local communities and ensuring alternative livelihoods are essential to achieving peaceful coexistence between humans and elephants in Bangladesh.