Putting GPS on Just 5 Elephants Is Helping Assam Keep Wildlife & People at a Safe Distance

GPS collars record an elephant’s location over time. Researchers can then map the animal’s regular routes, seasonal movements and links between habitats. This matters because elephants often travel beyond sanctuary boundaries, entering farms, tea gardens, settlements and transport corridors where encounters can become dangerous.

The collars fitted to five elephants produced more than 38,000 locations. The records showed when herds stayed in sanctuaries and when they moved towards crop fields or river islands. They also revealed crossings of roads, railway lines and international borders. These details are difficult to see from ordinary maps or occasional observations.

The maps cannot prevent conflict by themselves. However, forest officials and communities can use them to prepare for likely elephant movements, identify risky stretches and improve safety. Suggested measures include better lighting near settlements and roads, carefully planned fencing and discouraging crowds from approaching elephants.

Researchers tracked five elephants in Assam using GPS collars. The study covered three districts where encounters between people and elephants are a serious concern: Udalguri, Sonitpur and Biswanath. Four tracked elephants were females travelling with herds. The fifth was Bishu, a solitary, tuskless male.

The collars recorded more than 38,000 GPS locations. Each point showed where an elephant was at a particular time. Combined, the points revealed recurring forests, seasonal movements and routes through places that seem disconnected on an ordinary map. The data also showed movements between sanctuaries, farms, tea estates and river islands.

Tracking ran from April 2021 to June 2026. The findings were published in October 2026 in Tracking the Giants, a report by the Assam Forest Department and WWF-India. Researchers can use this evidence to plan safer routes and reduce surprise encounters.

The tracked herds moved beyond protected areas during particular seasons. In Sonitpur, Tara and Phul’s herds stayed mostly inside Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary from January through September. From October to December, they moved towards tea estates and settlements near Arimora Chapori, close to the Brahmaputra. In Udalguri, Mynow and Budhuni’s herds extended their journeys into crop fields from October to January.

Their routes included tea plantations, reserve forests, roads, railway lines and river channels. Bishu travelled between Behali Wildlife Sanctuary and the Brahmaputra islands within Kaziranga National Park. Other elephants used channels to connect Himalayan foothill forests with chaporis, or grassy river islands.

The movements followed seasonal patterns and crossed administrative boundaries. During the dry season, Udalguri herds also entered Bhutan’s Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary. Knowing these timings and places helps communities and forest teams prepare before elephants arrive.

Ripening paddy crops are one reason elephants move towards farmland during the harvest season. The article links their arrival to the October-to-January period, when paddy fields contain crops approaching harvest. This timing matters because elephants and farmers are then drawn into the same areas.

In Sonitpur, Tara and Phul’s herds usually remained in Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary from January to September. Between October and December, they travelled towards tea estates and settlements near Arimora Chapori. In Udalguri, Mynow and Budhuni’s herds entered crop fields around Barangajuli, Dimakuchi and Paneri between October and January.

The article does not describe a more specific feeding mechanism. It shows, however, that the seasonal pattern is predictable. Forest teams and communities could use that information to prepare for elephant movements, reduce surprise encounters and protect both people and harvests.

When elephant routes cross human-used land, both sides face serious risks. Farmers can lose crops when elephants enter fields. People may be hurt or killed during close encounters, especially when frightened residents approach or try to protect their harvests. Elephants face danger from railway lines, roads, electrocution and poisoning.

The GPS study found routes through farms, tea estates, settlements, roads and railway lines. Bishu travelled between Behali Wildlife Sanctuary and Brahmaputra river islands. Other elephants crossed river channels between forests and chaporis. In Udalguri, herds also crossed into Bhutan, showing that movement corridors may span countries.

The danger is not limited to one sanctuary. The maps can show where elephants regularly cross into settled areas and help identify hazardous stretches. The report suggests better lighting near settlements and roads, carefully planned fencing and discouraging crowds from approaching elephants. Such preparation may reduce fatal encounters.

Assam recorded 1,468 human deaths from elephant encounters between 2000 and 2023. During the same period, 626 elephants died from human-related causes. These figures show that conflict affects both communities and wildlife, rather than being only a conservation problem.

The study cites electrocution, poisoning and railway collisions among the causes of elephant deaths. People may lose their lives when elephants enter farms, pass near homes or meet frightened residents. Farmers can also lose crops, adding pressure during the paddy harvest season. The article does not give a separate breakdown of the 1,468 human deaths by cause.

GPS maps may help reduce these losses by showing where elephants regularly cross human-used areas. Officials can identify dangerous stretches and plan safety measures. The report suggests better lighting, carefully planned fencing and discouraging crowds from approaching elephants. These actions support safer movement for both species.

Elephant journeys rarely stop at wildlife sanctuary boundaries. The tracked animals moved through tea estates, agricultural fields and river channels to reach places they depended on. Treating each sanctuary as an isolated island would miss the routes that connect habitats and would leave dangerous crossings unmanaged.

Bishu travelled between Behali Wildlife Sanctuary and Brahmaputra islands in Kaziranga National Park. Other elephants used river channels between Himalayan foothill forests and chaporis. In Udalguri, herds travelled during the dry season into Bhutan’s adjoining Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary. Their journeys therefore linked protected areas, working landscapes and two countries.

These crossings create shared responsibilities. Roads, railway lines and settlements can endanger elephants and people along the routes. India and Bhutan need cooperation because the same herds move across their border. Connected GPS maps can help both countries understand movements, locate hazards and plan safer corridors beyond individual sanctuary boundaries.