Human-elephant conflict in Xishuangbanna Prefecture, China: Distribution, diffusion, and mitigation

The conflict between humans and wild animals is a special type of phenomena between human development and wild animal conservation, not only leading to massive economic loss to local residents, but also imposing severe impacts upon the production and living activities and even personal safety of the residents. Human-elephant conflict has existed as a phenomenon of human settlement development for more than 20 years in Xishuangbanna, China. There are periodic incidents of wild elephants hurting/killing people as well as feeding on and destroying subsistence and cash crops. It is an increasingly urgent and important issue for China to resolve while protecting and managing Asian elephants. Our study employed an Ecological-Niche Factor Analysis model to perform a risk assessment of areas where the Asian elephant currently is distributed and to predict future risks. It employed a Circuit Theory model based on random walk theory to predict multiple potential movement or migration pathways of Asian elephants within Xishuangbanna. The results indicated that: (1) the regions with human-elephant conflict risk in Xishuangbanna Prefecture had an area of about 4349.08 km2, accounting for 22.77% of the total prefecture area, with the risk regions primarily present in the middle and north parts of Menghai County and Jinghong City and in Mengla County in which there was a wide geographical distribution covering from the south to the north; (2) The regions of agriculture and garden that were close to Asian elephant distribution and roads were likely occurring risk; (3) There were more potential movement paths of elephants within Mengyang and Menghai distribution regions, which indicated that the connection of these areas was better. While the potential movement paths of elephants within Mengla and Shangyong were little; (4) There were some potential movement paths between different distribution areas of Asian elephant, but the migration possibility of elephants in different distribution areas was decreasing due to natural barriers (Mengyang-Menghai has Lancang river) and discontinuous potential paths between Mengla and Shangyong. Additionally, we discussed that created ecological corridors between different natural reserves to allow more dispersal and gene flow of elephants and diminish conflict between human and elephant. We also put forward compensation suggestions in different risk area. We hope our analytical methods can be applied, improved and expanded to other areas with similar wildlife damage.