Xishuangbanna Human-elephant Conflict And Mitigation Measures,

It is socially concerned that the damages caused by wildlife, Asian elephant in particular, have become more and more frequent and sever in Xishuangbanna in recent years. Studies shows that the main reasons are as followed: 1) Population growth; 2) Loss of habitats due to the expansion of cash crops; 3)Further habitat segmentation resulted from road construction; 4) limited food supply for the elephants due to un-scientific current management of the nature reserve. The four constrains have driven the elephants to walk out of the reserve and feed in crop fields, causing damages to crops and even injuries to human bodies. In addition to making local inhabitants suffering from sever injuries and loss of property, and putting them in difficulties of life and agricultural production, it has incurred the local people with a lot of spiritual burdens.In order to protect the wild elephants and comfort people who suffer from the wild elephants, local authorities have made great efforts and progresses, including development of food source base, and anti-elephant trench and electric fence, and compensation to annual loss or damages caused to local inhabitant. Based on the study on current management of the wild elephants, the following strategies are proposed in this paper to strengthen protection of the wild elephants and management of the conflicts between man and elephant: 1) Increase the compensation to the losses or damages to reduce villagers' resistance and upgrade the degree of their tolerance, so as to create a good social and cultural environment for protection of the wild elephants. 2) Improve the compensation mechanism to channel new source of funding and ensure adequate fund for the compensation (options are specified in the paper); 3) Conduct scientific management planning basing on good investigation and evaluation on the wild elephants and their habitats, and implement rational management adjustment. 4) Update the development concept of local governments to favor a sustainable development of the economy and wildlife protection.Moreover, the conflict between man-elephant will exist for a long time, and the protection of wild elephant is domed to a long-term task. The conflicts can only be reduced and alleviated through constant efforts and improved practices. However, it is pertinent that fulfillment of many elephant protection duties and initiatives needs financial and technical support from government at all levels, society from all walks of life, and conservation organizations all over the world.