As per the article, between 2015 and 2023, Kerala’s forests recorded 845 elephant deaths, with studies indicating an increasing mortality rate, particularly among elephants under 10 years old.
The article further said that approximately 40% of these young elephants succumb to Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus-Haemorrhagic Disease (EEHV-HD).
It referred to research showing that calves in larger herds, which share immunity, have better survival rates against EEHV-HD, suggesting that maintaining large herds can help mitigate the disease’s impact.
Furthermore, it highlighted that current threats to elephants include habitat shrinkage, fragmentation, climate change and competition from invasive plant species.
The study has recommended adopting a protocol similar to Tamil Nadu’s Elephant Death Audit Framework (EDAF) for Kerala to systematically investigate elephant deaths.
Source: Barandbench
