GPS Collars Track Assam Elephants, Map Safer Paths for Wildlife and People

A collaborative effort between the Assam Forest Department and WWF-India has utilized GPS tracking to map the movements of elephants across three districts: Udalguri, Sonitpur, and Biswanath. Between April 2021 and June 2026, researchers fitted GPS collars to five elephants—four females (Tara, Phul, Mynow, Budhuni) and one solitary tuskless male (Bishu)—collecting over 38,000 locations. The findings, published in October 2026 in the report "Tracking the Giants," offer a clearer picture of elephant journeys, which often bring them near human settlements.

Key patterns emerged from the data. In Sonitpur, Tara and Phul's herds typically stayed within Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary from January to September but ventured towards tea estates and settlements near Arimora Chapori between October and December, aligning with the paddy harvest season. Similarly, in Udalguri, Mynow and Budhuni's herds extended their journeys into crop fields around tea estates like Barangajuli, Dimakuchi, and Paneri from October to January. These movements highlight why elephants wander into farms during certain months, attracted by ripening crops, leading to dangerous encounters for both animals and people.

The GPS collars also revealed that elephant journeys frequently extend beyond forest boundaries. Bishu, for instance, traveled between Behali Wildlife Sanctuary and the Brahmaputra river islands, part of Kaziranga National Park. In Udalguri, some herds even crossed into Bhutan’s Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary during the dry season, underscoring the need for cross-border cooperation. This long-term tracking offers a comprehensive view of habitat use across seasons, unlike isolated sightings.

Understanding these movement patterns is crucial given the urgent need for safer encounters. Between 2000 and 2023, elephant encounters caused 1,468 human deaths in Assam, while 626 elephants died from human-related causes like electrocution and railway collisions. The report suggests measures such as better lighting, planned fencing around tea estates, and discouraging crowds. Aritra Kshettry, who leads WWF-India's Elephant Conservation Programme, emphasizes that this knowledge can help authorities plan better ways to reduce conflict.

Why it matters: This knowledge provides a pathway to reduce human-elephant conflict and protect both species.

Editor's note: The draft effectively synthesizes the source material, capturing the key statistics, methodology, and the purpose of the GPS study.