Thai department seeks funds for human-elephant conflict resolution

The Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) is seeking a 50 million baht (US$1.4 million) budget from the government to assist individuals whose lives have been disrupted by encounters with wild elephants.

The initiative is part of an effort to mitigate the increasing conflicts between humans and the growing population of wild elephants in the nation.

Phadet Laithong, head of the Wildlife Conservation Office under the DNP, revealed that the country’s wild elephant population has risen from between 3,500 and 4,000 in 2018 to currently ranging between 4,013 and 4,422.

Consequently, the increased elephant presence has led to an escalation in human-elephant conflicts. From 2015 up to early 2024, there have been 180 recorded injuries and 202 fatalities due to encounters with rogue elephants, reported Bangkok Post.

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