Elections come and go but elephants keep coming

Another election approaching, Bahundangi farmers still face deadly encounters and rising crop losses from elephant raids as earlier pledges of fencing and protection remain largely unfulfilled.

As dusk falls in Bahundangi, the locals brace themselves for a familiar routine. Herds of wild elephants cross the Mechi river from India and enter settlements, trampling crops, damaging homes and leaving villagers awake through the night. Human-elephant conflict has continued for years without victory for either side, turning the issue into a recurring election agenda that has yet to yield lasting solutions.