Elephant Conservation in Koshitappu and Surroundings in Nepal

Nepal’s small but growing elephant population now occupies increasingly human dominated landscapes, driving serious human–elephant conflict. Eastern Nepal supports roughly 150 migratory and 65 resident elephants, and numbers continue to rise. Human–elephant coexistence in the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and surrounding areas is strengthened by addressing habitat fragmentation, crop raiding, and human fatalities through targeted community and institutional capacity building. Key actions include forming four new Elephant Response Teams in high conflict hotspots and providing refresher training to 30 members from new and existing teams, equipping them with essential field gear—torches, t shirts, boots, and bags—to support effective patrols and conflict mitigation. The initiative also produces and distributes 1,500 HEC awareness booklets, conducts 20 village level sessions and 20 school programs reaching about 2,000 residents and 2,000 students, organizes four stakeholder coordination meetings across government levels, and delivers capacity building training for 50 participants, including park staff, division forest officers, and community representatives.

IEF #1053

Project Years:2026

Project Partners:
Ashok Kumar Ram, Ujyalo Nepal