Has the Tripura forest lost its pristine beauty and grandeur? Has the womb of these sacred woods, once teeming with life, now turned barren and unfertile for the wild creatures that once called it home? The gradual decrease of the great masterpiece of nature—the jumbos of Tripura—has raised these haunting questions. The tiny hilly state, once known for its green forests and abundant wildlife, now has only 42 wild elephants.
As per the 2017 census conducted using the Dung Count Method, Tripura had listed 102 elephants. This troubling decline clearly indicates that Tripura’s forest has lost its sanctity and is no longer in a position to provide safe shelter to wild elephants.
Generally, elephants are regarded as architects of forests. They clear the undergrowth as they move about, preventing the growth of certain plant species and allowing space for the regeneration of others, which in turn provide sustenance to other herbivorous animals.
Their existence in large numbers and free movement in the forest signifies rich biodiversity. However, the gradual decrease in the population of wild jumbos reflects the shocking status of Tripura’s forests. Unfortunately, the tiny state has failed to maintain the status quo and has become a victim of unchecked forest encroachment and reckless deforestation.
Humans have continuously exploited nature, leading to the extinction of many wild animals; the elephant too is now counting its days.
Natural Habitats Under Threat
Tripura’s elephants are essentially part of a larger metapopulation shared with Assam, Mizoram, and Bangladesh. In Tripura, the fragile Atharamura Hill range and surrounding mountainous areas in Khowai, Dhalai, Gomati, and West Tripura districts are the natural habitats for wild elephants. Once, these areas were rich in forests and the fodder elephants require.
Shockingly, these regions are now gradually losing their lush greenery and natural resources due to the influx of immigrants, forest encroachment, and the construction of national highways cutting through and bifurcating elephant corridors. As a result, the jumbos are left with no choice but to migrate to neighboring states.
Intra-state corridors, such as the Mungiakami–Kalyanpur–Krishnapur stretch in Khowai district, spanning areas under Teliamura, Krishnapur, and Kalyanpur, and the National Highway-8 (now renumbered as 208A) corridor near Teliamura and Khowai district, are now fragmented, confining elephants to limited areas.
Interstate corridors connecting Tripura’s forests to neighboring regions are also under threat.
The Tripura–Assam corridors, including Khowai and Teliamura (Atharamura–Baramura Hill range), connect Tripura’s forests with Karimganj district of southern Assam, while the Mungiakami–Kalyanpur–Krishnapur stretch reaches the adjacent hilly forest of Borak Belly in Assam.
Tripura–Mizoram corridors, such as the Jampui Hills and Sakhan Range in North Tripura, provide connectivity with Mamit district of western Mizoram, while South Tripura’s Gomati district maintains natural forest linkage with Lunglei district of Mizoram through the Dampa landscape.
Tripura–Bangladesh corridors, including Kailashahar–Kamalpur connecting with Sylhet district (Habiganj and Moulvibazar districts) and South Tripura (Sabroom–Chittagong Hill Tracts) connecting with Feni and Chittagong hill tracts across the border, have been permanently closed due to barbed wire fencing along the Indo-Bangla border.
Merciless deforestation by encroachers and timber smugglers has severely destroyed elephant habitats in hill ranges, especially Atharamura and Baramura. The drying up of natural fodder and water sources due to reckless deforestation in the name of development has compromised the survival of wild animals.
The construction and widening of NH-208A fragmented elephant corridors, leading to the loss of lakhs of ancient trees and fodder plants. Railway construction in Tripura has further intensified the onslaught on forests. Fencing along the Indo-Bangla border has blocked natural migration routes, while illegal poaching for ivory by international tuskers in the Northeast continues to kill wild elephants.
Migration has also taken a toll; many elephants that entered Bangladesh in search of food before fencing could not return, while some moved to Assam, unable to withstand the exploitation of nature in Tripura. Electrocution and train accidents have also caused fatalities. In 2024, a wild elephant was electrocuted after coming in contact with a wire at Matrangibari in Gomati district.
In the same year, two elephants were severely hit by a train between Teliamura and Mungiakami stations in Khowai district, a well-designated elephant corridor. Both later succumbed to their injuries.
The scarcity of fodder has triggered human-elephant conflict. In search of food, wild elephants often descend on foothill villages below the Baramura Hills, destroying homesteads, standing crops, fruits, and vegetables.
There have also been reports of human casualties caused by wild elephants. If this conflict is not mitigated, the elephant population will further decline. The state government has taken initiatives to curb the human-elephant conflict by introducing radio-collaring of wild elephants to track their movements, study their habitat use, and assess elephant corridors. Salt licks and water holes are being created within forests to prevent elephants from straying into human settlements.
The Forest Department has also started distributing anti-depredation tools to villagers and providing uniforms to wildlife village volunteers.
Restoration of natural corridors is essential to reduce the fragmentation of habitats. New highways and infrastructure projects must be planned with animal corridors in mind.
Protection and conservation of elephant habitats should be prioritized, and infrastructure development must be adjusted according to ecological needs. Establishing more parks and protecting reserve forests will aid conservation efforts. Installing solar-powered fencing around villages can help avoid human-elephant conflict.
The setting up of elephant reserves, construction of underpasses, overpasses, ramps, and fences to prevent accidental deaths, and enforcement of speed restrictions in high-risk areas are also necessary.
The continuous decrease in the population of elephants, one of the wisest and most beloved species on the planet, poses a serious threat to Tripura’s heritage. Their decline will have grave effects on other species by upsetting the balance of the entire ecosystem.
The state government should take drastic initiatives to protect these largest herbivores from extinction in the state, implementing meticulous and calculative projects beyond mere paperwork. If Tripura fails to act now, the majestic elephant will fade into memory, leaving behind silent forests and a broken ecosystem. Protecting them is not just about saving a species—it is about saving Tripura’s soul.
Also Read: Why are 367 graduate teachers protesting in Nagaland?
You just read a story that took days to report. Help us keep our reporters on the ground in the Northeast.
Ad-free reading, support and keep important stories alive
Support once (any amount)
Scan to pay via UPI