By Abbas Nazil
A new scientific study has revealed that elephants living in fragmented habitats of South Bengal are showing higher stress levels and reduced metabolic activity, signaling a compromised health condition in the population.
The research, published in Scientific Reports, a Nature group journal, examined the physiological responses of free-ranging Asian elephant populations across human-modified landscapes.
Stress was measured using faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM), while metabolic states were assessed through faecal triiodothyronine (fT3).
The study compared three populations, including elephants in Paschim Medinipur and Kharagpur forest divisions of West Bengal, and populations in northeastern India’s Gorumara, Jalpaiguri, Jaldapara, and Buxa regions.
Findings showed that elephants in the Central Indian landscape of South Bengal recorded higher fGCM levels and lower fT3 levels compared to northeastern populations and earlier-studied southern populations.
Lead author Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel explained that while elephants may adapt to human-modified environments, beyond a certain threshold of disturbance their stress levels rise significantly, resulting in negative physiological consequences.
The research highlighted that human-elephant conflicts in South Bengal are particularly severe, with aggressive responses from local residents.
Communities often form “hula parties” to drive elephants away, sometimes using torches and fireballs, which have led to elephant fatalities.
In comparison, southern India recorded lower levels of conflict and fewer unnatural elephant deaths, suggesting that habitat fragmentation and anthropogenic stress play a stronger role in determining elephant stress responses than dietary quality alone.
India’s estimated elephant population of 27,000 to 30,000 individuals is spread across northeastern, northwestern, central, and southern regions, with varying degrees of human-wildlife conflict.
South Bengal, part of the Central Indian elephant habitat, is one of the most fragmented areas and has recorded rising numbers of elephants becoming resident in the region, intensifying human-elephant interactions.
The study warns that escalating habitat fragmentation and conflict in South Bengal could have long-term health consequences for elephant populations, making conservation efforts in these regions more urgent.