Managing Human–Elephant Conflict in Arunachal Pradesh: A Strategy and Action Plan

Posted on 12 May 2026
Report
© WWF-India
The Asian elephant is a keystone species of Arunachal Pradesh vital in its role as an “ecosystem engineer” maintaining the structural health and biodiversity of the forests. The varied key ecological roles played by this species is essential to maintain one of the most biodiverse states in India, with nearly 79% area under forest cover and having a network of two national parks and sixteen wildlife sanctuaries, which includes three tiger reserves and two elephant reserves. In addition to these, there are eleven Community Reserves and several Community Conservation Areas (CCAs) across the state, providing safe havens for species ranging from the smallest endemic species to the long-ranging elephants.

The state supports a significant population of elephants distributed along its Himalayan foothills from West Kameng district in the west to Longding district in the east forming an important stretch of the Northeast India elephant landscape which holds the second largest elephant population of India. In such a scenario, human-animal interaction is unavoidable. Continued conservation efforts, including corridor identification and scientific monitoring, inter-state coordination and assessments have strengthened our understanding of elephant ecology and conservation.
Report
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