The Indian government introduces an application aimed at reducing the number of deaths resulting from encounters with wild elephants.

• In Assam, India, where the second-largest elephant population resides, HaatiApp monitors the movements of elephant herds.
• The app allows locals to report elephant sightings, injuries, deaths, crop and property damages.
• A local conservation society stated that over 600 deaths, both elephant and human, occurred in Assam from 2017 to 2022.

In northeastern India, the state of Assam has introduced a mobile application that alerts individuals of approaching wild elephant herds to minimize human-elephant conflicts.

In India, conflicts between humans and elephants have increased due to the reduction of their habitats and natural pathways for urban development, resulting in elephants becoming more aggressive.

The HaatiApp, created by Aaranyak, an Assam-based conservation group, monitors the movements of wild elephant herds and alerts users of potential collisions.

The organization reported that more than 200 elephant deaths and 400 human deaths occurred in the state due to human-elephant conflicts from 2017 to 2022.

"The growth of the population and poverty has driven humans to expand their territories, while animals are losing their habitats due to shrinking jungles."

In addition to allowing residents to report elephant sightings, injuries, deaths, and crop and property damages, the app also provides a compensation form for victims to use when seeking reimbursement from government entities in Aaranyak.

The app launched this month will serve as an early warning system for the presence of wild elephants near human settlements, helping villagers avoid negative encounters with these animals, as stated by Aaranyak in a Facebook post.

In addition to launching the app, Aaranyak released a handbook detailing how to use solar-powered fences to keep elephants away from humans and property.

In addition to its extensive agriculture and numerous wildlife sanctuaries, Assam is home to endangered species such as the Asian elephant and Indian one-horned rhinoceros.

Karnataka, with over 6,000 elephants, has the largest elephant population in India, followed closely by the state with 5,700 elephants.