On the tusks of a dilemma

TWO farmers in Anekal, a forested bit of the south Indian state of Karnataka, were in their fields this summer when a pair of cow elephants and a calf emerged from the trees. Protective of the calf, the animals chased and trampled the men. Such deaths are not unusual: each year some 400 Indians are fatally stomped, and killings are getting more common, says a new report by India’s Elephant Task Force, a government-backed panel.

That is bad both for humans and jumbos. After the deaths in Anekal, villagers angrily demanded that officials control the elephants. Others are taking direct action: around 100 of the animals are being killed each year, according to “Securing the Future for Elephants in India”, published on August 31st. A booming human population and rapid economic development are shrinking the elephants’ habitat. In Anekal farmers encroach on the forest, disrupting a migratory route. This is happening across 90 such corridors, leaving the animal populations isolated. …

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