Illegal electric traps kill 14 elephants as authorities urge locals to stop unsafe fencing practices.
KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 10
At least 72 people have lost their lives in human-elephant conflicts in Jhapa over the past two decades, while 26 elephants have died during the same period, according to the Division Forest Office.
Of the total elephant deaths, 14 were killed by illegal electric traps set up by locals to protect crops and homes, said Division Forest Officer Bharat Babu Shrestha. He warned that unregulated use of live electric wires poses serious risks not only to wildlife but also to humans.
"In areas affected by wild elephants, some residents have developed the dangerous practice of erecting naked electric fences around their property. This has proven deadly for elephants and poses grave danger to people as well," Shrestha said, adding that the office has already written to local governments and the Nepal Electricity Authority seeking coordinated action.
He further noted that many residents disregard awareness efforts, continuing to electrify exposed wires at night and turning off the current in the morning. "Such practices could result in tragic human casualties in addition to the loss of wildlife," he cautioned.
Jhapa, which shares its southern border with India, frequently witnesses cross-border elephant movement, often leading to confrontations between humans and elephants in settlements near forested areas.
