As human settlements expand into elephant habitat, conflict over crops, water, and space causes injury and death on both sides, with profound welfare implications for wild elephant populations.
Elephants living in human-dominated landscapes face a chronic stress environment characterised by unpredictable harassment, food competition, and lethal threat. The welfare implications extend beyond individual encounters: crop-raiding elephants that repeatedly encounter human aggression show altered behavioural repertoires consistent with chronic trauma. Mitigation strategies that reduce conflict without harming elephants — electric fencing, early warning systems, community compensation schemes — serve both human livelihoods and elephant welfare simultaneously. The longer-term solution requires addressing habitat loss through protected area connectivity and sustainable land use planning.