In the last two decades, 300 people have died in Nepal due to elephant attacks. Among all, Jalthal area is the worst affected by human elephant conflict. In the municipalities surrounding the Jalthal forest, there has been death of 21 people in elephant attack. Similarly, six elephants were reported dead during the last seven years in the region.
ForestAction Nepal has been working with stakeholders to restore the degraded yet rich biodiversity-Jalthal forest. Given the seriousness of the issue, ForestAction Nepal has been undertaking wetland restoration, small water hole improvement, invasive species control and plantation of elephant fodder. Banana, bamboo, Niwaro and Latahar are among the planted fodder species. Similarly, the works in Jalthal forest has prioritized conservation of natural regeneration in collaboration with DFO Jhapa and local community forests user groups (CFUGs).
In 21 st August, on the occasion of World Elephant Day, an interaction program was organised at various places in Kachankawal. Kachankawal rural municipality is one of the worst affected area in the landscape. In Moti Secondary School, a program on human-elephant coexistence was conducted where, the chairman of the School Management Committee, Sheshlal Rajvanshi, the vice president of Kachankawal Rural Municipality Navraj Bhattarai, the Principal of the school, Chabilal Basnet, and the program coordinator of Forest Action Nepal-Lila Nath Sharma, Forest Officers of Division Forest Office Rishi Ram Parajuli, Raju Khadka, Wildlife Conservationist Deven Kharel-a photo journalist and conservation enthusiast and other representatives of Kachankawal, teachers, students and stakeholders interacted and held discussion on the matter. In the program, various topics related to elephants, human-elephant conflict and human- elephant coexistence challenges and solutions were discussed. Students of the school also attended a quiz program focused on ecology and behaviors of Elephant.
On the same day, at Municipality level, FECOFUN in collaboration with ForestAction Nepal organised an interaction program in Abhimukteswar community forest. Human-elephant conflict and ways of enhancing human elephant conflicts were discussed in the program. The program was attended by users of Abhimuktewar CF and leaders from six different CFUGs in Kachankawal. Local people also shared their experience with slow process of compensation. In both the programs, among others, participants also identified and highlighted that awareness raising programs and forest restoration should go hand by hand.
ForestAction Nepal Jalthal team along with two conservation enthusiast (Mr Shankar Luintel and Deven Kharel) also visited Salakpur area of Ilam to interact with local people on recent movement of Elephant in the region. The locals informed that historically the region had elephant movement, however, it has decreased in the last few decades. It was also known that recently Elephant have started residing longer in the Indo-Nepal bordering area near Salakpur.
