July 21 2026

July 21, 2026

The Elephant News Service is provided by Save the Elephants for elephant lovers, scientists and conservationists who want to stay informed on the latest elephant news from reputable media sources worldwide. The stories are presented in no particular order.

The New Indian Express (India), July 20, 2026

Fear has gripped several villages in Therlam and Bobbili mandals of Vizianagaram district as the herd consisting of eight elephants has created havoc by destroying stranded crops of maize and paddy in the district. The wild elephants entered Vizianagaram district and strayed into Kusumuru and Nandabalaga causing significant damage to standing crops.

K. S Sudhi, The Hindu (India), July 19, 2026

Eight elephants, which were found dead in a river flowing through the Malayattoor and Vazhachal forests last year, died of “natural accidental causes,” a special investigation team (SIT) report has concluded. The animals might have accidentally slipped into the river following extremely high rainfall and died due to the impacts of the fall, according to the report.

Mukesh Ranjan, The New Indian Express (India), July 19, 2026

Moved by the hardships faced by villagers whose standing crops are routinely ravaged by wild elephants, 18-year-old Avi Mohan Shukla has developed a low-cost, AI-powered 'Elephant Repellent Device' aimed at reducing human-elephant conflict. The system is designed to detect elephant movement quickly and with greater precision than conventional methods, offering an estimated accuracy of up to 80 per cent.

NorthEast News (India), July 19, 2026

A wild elephant was found dead near the Abhaypur Reserve Forest in the Sonari area of Assam’s Charaideo district on Saturday, prompting the Forest Department to launch an investigation into the cause of its death, officials said. Forest officials said they were alerted by locals, following which a team, along with personnel from Sonari Police Station, rushed to the site.

Rising Nepal (Nepal), July 20, 2026

In a bid to tackle human-wildlife conflict, early warning systems have been set up in the villages surrounding Banke National Park. Kamal Regmi, a field representative from JDSL Nepal, shared that sirens have been installed in several locations, including Khadagwar in Kohalpur-13, Mahadevpur in Raptisonari-9, Buchapur in Raptisonari-8, and Gobharpur in Raptisonari-2. 

Khaosod English (Thailand), July 20, 2026

The Thailand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TSPCA) and the Friends of the Asian Elephant Foundation, together with partner organisations, have called for an investigation into an incident in which a volunteer allegedly threw a firecracker at Plai Salika, a well-known wild elephant at Khao Yai National Park.

The Star (Malaysia), July 20, 2026

A farmer in Kampung Kuala Jengai here suffered losses of about RM20,000 after a wild elephant damaged his coconut plantation in the early hours last week. Mohd Marzuki Saat, 67, said the wild elephant is believed to have entered his plantation at around 2am on July 13, destroying 34 four-year-old coconut trees that had begun bearing fruit this year.

The Hindu (India), July 19, 2026

A 68-year-old farmer was trampled to death by a wild elephant while guarding his farm in the Kadambur forest range of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Erode district in the early hours of Sunday, triggering protests by villagers who demanded measures to prevent recurring human-elephant conflict.

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Asian Elephant News