Kerala sees marginal decline in elephant attack deaths; four kumki squads planned

Kerala has recorded a marginal decrease in human deaths caused by wild elephant attacks over the past five years, according to official figures provided by the state's Forest Department. The data also showed a corresponding modest decline in the number of people injured during encounters with wild elephants, indicating some progress in mitigating the human-wildlife conflict that has long plagued the state.

To further address the issue, authorities have announced plans to establish four kumki squads—trained elephant units used to manage and control wild elephants. These squads, composed of experienced kumki mahouts and their trained domestic elephants, are expected to play a crucial role in preventing elephant movements into human settlements and reducing confrontations between villagers and wild herds.

The initiative comes as Kerala continues to grapple with increasing incidents of human-elephant conflict, particularly in forested regions and agricultural areas bordering wildlife sanctuaries. The kumki squads will be deployed strategically across the state to intercept wild elephants before they enter populated zones and to guide herds back into protected forests.

Forest officials have emphasized that while the declining trend in casualties is encouraging, sustained efforts remain essential. The establishment of these specialized squads, combined with existing mitigation measures, is intended to provide more comprehensive protection to both human communities and elephant populations that increasingly find their natural habitats shrinking.