“New Study Shows Asian Elephants Have Lost Two-Thirds of Habitat Due to Deforestation and Human Activity”

A new study published in Scientific Reports has found that Asian elephants, an endangered species found across 13 countries, have lost almost two-thirds of their habitat since 1700 due to deforestation and increasing human use of land for agriculture and infrastructure. The study highlights the need for proper planning to avoid the potential for conflict between humans and elephants, which has been driven up by large-scale habitat loss. The greatest decline in elephant habitats was found in China, where 94% of suitable land was lost between 1700 and 2015, followed by India with a loss of 86%. Restoring these habitats doesn’t necessarily mean keeping them static, but instead requires understanding the role of marginalized people and maintaining sustainability in the face of climate change and increasing human populations. The study notes that encounters between elephants and humans have increased, and conflicts have arisen in areas with little experience with elephants. If current elephant populations are to survive, the practice of driving them into ever-shrinking and marginal habitat must be replaced with attempts to adequately identify and connect areas of suitable habitat.