Assam, a state in India with a large elephant population, has introduced a mobile app called Haati to prevent deaths caused by wild elephants. The app alerts people about approaching elephant herds, allowing them to safely move out of harm’s way. Due to shrinking habitats and encroachment on their natural corridors, elephants in Assam are becoming more aggressive, leading to a high number of human and elephant deaths.
Developed by Aaranyak, a biodiversity organization in north-east India, the Haati app also includes a feature for victims and their families to seek compensation from the local government in case of injury or death from elephant attacks. Aaranyak has also launched a handbook on solar-powered fences to deter elephants from entering human settlements.
With only around 50,000 Asian elephants left in the wild, wildlife charity WWF estimates that half a million families in India are affected by crop-raiding elephants annually. The introduction of the Haati app and other initiatives aims to mitigate human-elephant conflicts and protect both species from harm.
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