🐘 July 27 2026

July 27, 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.

Narendra Sethi, The New Indian Express (India), July 26, 2026

With millions of pilgrims expected in Haridwar for the 2027 Kumbh Mela, the Uttarakhand Forest Department plans to fit radio collars on herd-leading elephants to track their movements and reduce encounters in crowded areas. The initiative, being developed with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), follows persistent incidents of elephants entering settlements despite trenches, solar-powered fences and other barriers.

Pragyan Paramita, Odisha TV (India), July 26, 2026

A couple sustained serious injuries after being attacked by a tusker while returning home from the fields in Odisha's Balasore district. The incident took place at Baghampuda village under the Soro police limits. The victims, identified as Arun Bindhani and his wife Kuni Bindhani, finished work in the fields and were heading home when the tusker attacked them. According to reports, Arun and Kuni took shelter under a tree while returning from the fields after it started raining.

The Hindu (India), July 26, 2026

The State government has ordered the capture of KM1, the tusker that has been repeatedly entering the Aralam Farm region and nearby rehabilitation colonies, by tranquillising it and fitting it with a radio collar before releasing it into its natural habitat away from human settlements, Electricity, Environment and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sunny Joseph said. KM1 has been a persistent threat in the Aralam Farm area, frequently entering residential settlements and causing extensive damage.

Deccan Chronicle (India), July 26, 2026

The Forest Department has restricted public access to areas in the Nilgiris district where Neelakurinji flowers have bloomed, citing the protected status of the plant and heavy movement of wild elephants. The Neelakurinji flowers have blossomed in large numbers across the Gudalur forest division. Forest officials emphasised that the Kurinji is a significant plant categorised as a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act. The department has strictly warned that plucking the flowers is a punishable offence.

Sakib Ahmed and Aminul Islam, The Daily Star (Bangladesh), July 25, 2026

As elephant numbers grow in the forests of the Mymensingh region, shrinking habitats, blocked migration routes and escalating human-elephant conflict are threatening the future of one of Bangladesh’s last remaining transboundary elephant populations. Nearly 40 elephant calves aged between one and five years have been recorded in the region over the past six years, pushing the northern elephant population to around 140, according to a wildlife ranger of the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division in Sherpur.

The Climate Watch (Bangladesh), July 25, 2026

Bangladesh has established a 10-member Wildlife Commission to strengthen the conservation of endangered species, restore critical wildlife habitats, and promote nationwide awareness on biodiversity protection as the country faces growing pressures from habitat loss, climate change, and increasing human-wildlife conflict. The commission was formed at a Cabinet meeting with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issuing an official notification through its Forest Wing-2.

Times of India (India), July 25, 2026

A father and his daughter had a narrow escape after a wild elephant charged at their two-wheeler and knocked them off on Kallar–Mottamoodu stretch of Ponmudi road. Mahesh, a resident of Kallar Mottamoodu, and his daughter, were on their way to drop her at a tuition centre in Vithura when they encountered the elephant standing on the roadside. According to forest officials, the elephant suddenly charged at the vehicle, throwing both riders onto the side of the road.

Apinya Wipatayotin, Bangkok Post (Thailand), July 25, 2026

Forestry officials are questioning the environment ministry's investigation into the death of the wild elephant Seedor Hu Pab, claiming that its conclusions contradict scientific findings previously reached by wildlife specialists. A fact-finding committee set up by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment announced on Wednesday that officials responsible for capturing and relocating the elephant had acted negligently during the operation.

Ranjith Kandya, Times of India (India), July 25, 2026

Residents of the Malnad region, who have long enjoyed a peaceful life amid nature, are now being haunted by the increasing menace of wild animals. For septuagenarian KR Chandrashekar and his wife Anasuyamma of Kasana village in Sankse, evenings are filled with fear. It is not the darkness they dread, but the sight of tigers, wild elephants and leopards prowling near their home. For the past week, a wild elephant has been raiding Chandrashekar’s areca plantation adjacent to his house.

Highland Post (India), July 25, 2026

A 45-year-old woman was trampled to death by a wild elephant in West Garo Hills, the latest in a series of human-elephant conflicts along the Assam-Meghalaya border. The victim, identified as Rabha of Lahapara village in Belguri, died on the spot after a herd strayed into the village in search of food, causing panic among residents. The incident has left Belguri and nearby border villages in shock. Locals said elephant incursions have become frequent, posing a recurring threat to lives, crops and property.

Bireswar Banerjee, The Telegraph (India), July 24, 2026

In a first-of-its-kind initiative under the Katihar division of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), a daylong training programme for loco pilots was held at the Loco Pilot Running Building at the New Jalpaiguri (NJP) railway station to prevent elephant deaths on railway tracks. Nearly 120 loco pilots attended the event.

The participants deliberated on ways to reduce elephant-train collisions and improve coordination between railway and forest authorities in one of the country’s most vulnerable wildlife corridors.

Tuhina Sahoo, Prameya News (India), July 24, 2026

A young wild elephant was injured after being struck by a pickup van while crossing National Highway-20 near Badapashi under the Keonjhar Sadar Forest Range in Odisha. Forest officials have launched a rescue and monitoring operation, with experts expressing hope that the animal will recover. The accident took place when a herd of six elephants, including an eight-year-old male tusker, two adult females and three calves, was crossing the highway. The speeding pickup van hit the male elephant, causing injuries to its right hind leg.

Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka), July 25, 2026

Five people were injured when an elephant attacked a van travelling from Padukka to Anuradhapura. It was reported that the van had knocked the animal a few metres before it reached the spot where the tragedy struck. The injured were admitted to hospital. The condition of three people was said to be serious. Some six people were travelling in the van, according to police. The village of Padeniya in Anuradhapura District is said to have suffered because of wild elephants during the past few years.

RESOURCES

🔬 Research: Deterioration mechanisms of Siberian mammoth tusks: insights from natural versus disturbed states (Heritage Science, July 25, 2026)

Asian Elephant News