• According to the Elephant Census of 2017, India has close to 30,000 Asian Elephants. Of this, 6,049, the highest in a single State, were in Karnataka.
  • A detailed study done in 2015 showed that 60 per cent of the elephant’s habitat in Karnataka was outside notified Protected Areas, making it inevitable for pachyderms to come into contact with humans.
  • According to data from the Karnataka Forest Department, 79 people have died as a result of elephant encounters in Karnataka between 2017 and 2021.
  • The KFD has recorded 37,891 separate cases of crop loss in Hassan district caused by elephants since 2007, for which a total compensation of Rs.14.91 crore has been disbursed.
  • The Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) has developed an Early Warning System (EWS) that may provide an answer.