A Comparative Review on Human Casualty Patterns Due to Asian Elephants Elephas maximus

Human casualties caused due to human-elephant conflicts are a major problem in modern world where conservation is often pitted against development. This review paper is an attempt to study cases where human casualties have occurred due to human-elephant conflicts involving Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) by using peer-reviewed articles and verified news reports from various national and international dailies. The main aim of this study is to understand monthly, seasonal, spatial and temporal patterns of human casualties and our study reveals that most human casualties due to Asian elephants occur during the dry season (winter) mostly in December and January with very few exceptions and occur in higher frequency in farmlands located near fringe areas or boundaries of protected zones. Temporal patterns indicate that most of these casualties have occurred in the night time. The patterns are supported with relevant statistical data and analysis for better understanding of the problem. Mitigating this problem is a challenge which is discussed in this article with potential solutions suggested as per proven and tested methods and is also based on our understanding of these patterns.