A wildlife NGO, in collaboration with the Kurseong forest division, has launched an extensive awareness campaign across the forest fringe villages and tea garden areas of the Siliguri subdivision to reduce human-elephant conflict.
In 2024, nine persons lost their lives in elephant attacks under the Kurseong forest division, and the forest department paid ₹60 lakh in compensation. However, in 2025, only one person had died till date under the division, for which foresters credit enhanced vigilance and community awareness.
“We are reaching out to every forest village and tea estate bordering the Kurseong forest division to educate residents on precautionary measures that can help prevent elephant depredation,” said Rikjyoti Singha Roy, founder of The Jumbo Troops, the wildlife NGO spearheading the campaign.
The drive began last week from Tukriajhar forest near Naxalbari and extended to Simulbari tea estate near Siliguri. The campaign involves distributing and displaying posters and banners with safety instructions for local communities.
The messages advise residents not to tease or provoke elephants, avoid pelting stones or chasing the animals when they enter human settlements and refrain from gathering outdoors or venturing near forested areas after dark. They ask villagers to keep areas clean of food waste and garbage, especially around rural markets which tend to
attract elephants.
“We are conducting the campaign with support from the elephant squad of the Kurseong forest division. We have a dedicated emergency helpline — 0353-2550453 — for villagers in case of elephant intrusions,” Singha Roy added.
Forest officials have also stepped up their monitoring efforts. The Kurseong forest division installed 60 CCTV cameras at key locations and formed 11 quick response teams to track elephant movement and respond to conflict situations.
“Currently, more than 120 elephants are on our radar. CCTV surveillance helps us track their paths and alert communities in time,” a forester said.