Kerala, Karnataka lead in reducing human casualties from elephant attacks: Report
Hubballi: Karnataka and Kerala, two states that collectively house around 40% of India’s wild elephant population, have made notable efforts in preventing human casualties from elephant attacks.
Over the past five years, Karnataka recorded 160 human deaths due to elephant attacks, while Kerala lost 102 lives. Both states together host a combined total of 11,755 wild elephants out of the 29,964 wild jumbos in India as per the 2017 Elephant census, as reported by Deccan Herald on Thursday.
When standardised, every 100 elephants killed 2.6 humans in Karnataka, while in Kerala, the figure was lower at 1.78 deaths. In stark contrast, the national average stands at 9.44 human fatalities per 100 elephants.
Experts suggested that combination of habitat consolidation and the use of modern technology has contributed to the comparatively low number of human deaths in these two states.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had stated that between 2019 and 2024, wild elephants killed 2,829 humans. During the same period, India lost 528 elephants due to unnatural reasons including electrocution, run over by trains, poisoning and others, the report added.
State-wise, Odisha, which has a population of 1,976 elephants, reported the highest human death toll—624 lives lost to elephant attacks. Other states with significant fatalities include Jharkhand (474 deaths from 679 elephants), West Bengal (436 deaths from 194 elephants), and Assam (383 deaths from 5,719 elephants).
Government documents, cited by DH, revealed that West Bengal has the highest mortality rate when adjusted for elephant population size. In West Bengal, every 100 elephants are responsible for 224.74 human deaths. Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra follow closely behind with rates of 122.67 and 133.33 fatalities per 100 elephants, respectively.
Raman Sukumar, the former chairman of the Karnataka Elephant Task Force, attributed the relatively lower human casualties in Karnataka and Kerala to well-managed habitats and connectivity. He noted that states like West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand are witnessing higher human fatalities due to habitat fragmentation, range expansion and dispersing of elephants to newer habitats.
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Oppn, X users flag concerns over US envoy Sergio Gor’s visit to Army’s western command
New Delhi: A visit by the US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, to Chandigarh on Monday has triggered sharp criticism from opposition leaders and social media users, raising questions about national security and foreign policy.
On X, Ambassador Gor announced his visit, writing, “Just landed in Chandigarh. Looking forward to visiting the Western Command of the Indian Army.”
Just landed in Chandigarh. Looking forward to visiting the Western Command of the Indian Army
— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) February 16, 2026
Soon after, opposition voices questioned the broader implications of the visit. Congress Kerala, in a post, commented, “Why so much panic? We’ve already seen Pakistan's ISI getting access to Pathankot Airbase with this government's blessings. Didn't they say then ‘Modi ne kiya ho to kuch soch samajh kar kiya hoga?’ Compared to that, this is very small.”
Why so much panic? We’ve already seen Pakistan's ISI getting access to Pathankot Airbase with this government's blessings.
— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) February 16, 2026
Didn't they say then "Modi ne kiya ho to kuch soch samajh kar kiya hoga?"
Compared to that, this is very small. pic.twitter.com/gNNuAGQBPC
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also weighed in, writing, “Since India’s national strategic interests are now tied to what US wants India to do, this visit seems to sync with that.”
She further added, “India’s history will remember the de-escalation announcement between India and Pak was announced on social media by the US President before Indians got to know from their own government. US Ambassador is doing the job for his nation, who is doing for us? The answer is blowing in the wind.”
Since India’s national strategic interests are now tied to what US wants India to do, this visit seems to sync with that. India’s history will remember the de-escalation announcement between India and Pak was announced on social media by the US President before Indians got to… pic.twitter.com/rYMq5NhJHA
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) February 16, 2026
The visit comes against the backdrop of the growing US-India defence partnership.
Writer and political analyst @rajuparulekar commented on ‘X’, “East India Company is back!”
“Is it allowed for an ambassador to visit any army unit in india?” asked another user.
Several X users expressed concerns over the appropriateness of the visit.
One asked, “Is it allowed for an ambassador to visit any army unit in India?” Another wrote, “Why an ambassador visiting our army places? To talk to Chandigarh lobby for F-35?”
Why an ambassador visiting our army places ? To talk to chandigarh lobby for f-35 ??
— Rohan Sagar (@RohanSagar03) February 16, 2026
“We have completely sold Indian sovereignty. Rothschild the evil Bankers will now control NSE. Modi sold Bharat Mata to Trump . And now American imperialist is visiting our army command . Scary,” wrote another user.
“The Indian Army isn’t part of geopolitics, so why is he interested in visiting there?,” opined another.
The Indian Army isn’t part of geopolitics, so why is he interested in visiting there?
— Aditya Pratap Singh (@Adi_IIMCIAN) February 16, 2026
On Sunday, Gor welcomed Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), highlighting efforts to expand the growing US-India defence partnership.
In a post on X, Gor wrote, “Delighted to have @INDOPACOM Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo in India to expand the U.S.-India defense partnership. Now is the time to strengthen vital cooperation between our two nations.”
On Monday, Admiral Samuel J. Paparo Jr visited the headquarters of India’s Western Army Command along with the American envoy Sergio Gor. The delegation was briefed on the formation’s capabilities, its past operations, and future plans.
The American delegation also visited Bengaluru, where they met three start-ups, two in the space sector and one in defence, and participated in an Indo-US conference.
