Wild elephants entering settlements near Shuklaphanta to be fitted with radio collars

Wild elephants that keep entering settlements around Shuklaphanta National Park in Kanchanpur are to be fitted with radio collars for monitoring.

The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation has instructed the Shuklaphanta National Park office to proceed with the work, aimed at reducing human-wildlife conflict.

Elephants have for years been entering settlements in the park's buffer zone, destroying crops and property and raising the risk to human safety.

The collars will gather information on the elephants' movements. The department aims to regularly monitor and analyse that data to assess in advance the risk of elephants heading toward settlements.

Agriculture, Forest and Environment Minister Gita Chaudhary said such forecasting could help alert local communities in time. According to her, this will help reduce loss of life and property.