Book Launch — Ecology, Conservation and Management of the Asian Elephant in Bannerghatta National Park — Bangalore, 3 August 2012

The survival of the Asian elephant today continues to be threatened by the fragmentation, degradation and isolation of its natural habitat. An uncontrolled increase in habitat fragmentation, human settlements and their crop fields and changes in land use patterns around elephant habitats have brought the elephants closer to humans than ever before. About 85% of the population living around Bannerghatta National Park, southern India, area marginal, subsistence and small farmers prone to chronic poverty and suffer from enormous economic losses in the event of raids by elephants. This study on Ecology, conservation and Management of Asian elephant in mixed deciduous forests of Bannerghatta National Park is first of its kind, and provides an opportunity to understand the habitat status, elephant density, review the appropriate sampling protocols, insights on the population demography, habitat use, elephanthuman conflict, conflict mitigation measures and local community perspective on conservation issues.