Is there reason for optimism about the rise in the elephant population, when natural areas are under pressure?
You are right. I think we are approaching the saturation point as regards the numbers in many regions. The Western Ghats has one of the highest densities globally. The fragmented habitats of Orissa and Jharkhand, under further threat from mining, obviously cannot hold many more elephants the conflict between elephants and humans is already too high in this region. In the northeast, the habitat for elephants is declining. As anthropogenic activity raises the possibility of frequent elephant-human confrontations, is there a model to handle this issue? Can compensation be the answer? I think that compensation can only be a temporary solution and that too in areas with low levels of conflict. In the long term, we can solve the conflict (or should I say minimise the conflict) only by maintaining the integrity of elephant landscapes. This means that we should begin in earnest the reversal of fragmentation through protection, strengthening or creating corridors. I think the resources are now
