Watch: Drones Take Flight to Safeguard Belbari From Wild Elephants

After various unsuccessful attempts to deter wild elephants, the Belbari Municipality in Morang district has employed drone technology to address the issue. The municipality had previously used methods such as fire, sirens, and bulldozers to deter elephants, but the latest recourse involved the use of drones.

The decision to use drones to deter elephants comes as a result of the increasing challenges faced by the municipality in dealing with elephant intrusions, leading to the displacement of several households. Dil Prasad Rai, the mayor of Belbari Municipality, shared that despite the initial effectiveness of other methods, the elephants returned to homes, consuming rice and other food stored inside.

Rai explained that initially, other methods were employed, but even after scaring the elephants away, they returned to homes. He said, “Although we initially scared the elephants away using traditional methods, they later returned. Even though we used sirens initially, the elephants eventually got used to the noise.”

Anil Pradhan, currently working at the GBIS Team/National Robotics and Research Center in Lalitpur, had previously conducted drone trials to deter elephants. Pradhan and his team, along with the municipality representatives, went to Belbari to assist in deploying the drones. On Friday night, the drones were used successfully to drive away elephants, and another herd from a neighboring village was also repelled.

Rai stated, “In one village in Belbari, we received information about 22 elephants entering around 1 AM. With the help of drones, we were able to drive them away.” The mayor acknowledged that, while drones have proven effective in the short term, a more sustainable solution is needed. He emphasized that they are discussing the issue with local authorities and are exploring additional options to address the long-term problem of elephant intrusions.

Despite the initial success, conservationist Devendra Kumar Kharel highlighted that elephants’ conflict with humans is escalating in eastern Nepal. Kharel explained that elephants remember past incidents, and as human activities like scaring, throwing stones, playing sirens, and setting fires have increased, the elephants have become more aggressive. Watch the video here: