KATHMANDU: Human-elephant conflict has claimed the lives of 80 people in Jhapa over the past 16 years, while 28 wild elephants have also been killed during the same period, according to the Division Forest Office in Bhadrapur.

Division Forest Officer Nathuni Yadav said records show that 70 Nepali and 10 foreign nationals were killed in elephant attacks between June 17, 2010, and mid-July 2026, averaging five human deaths annually.

The highest number of fatalities was recorded in 2023, when eight people, including three women, were killed. In the fiscal year 2025/26 alone, six people lost their lives in elephant attacks. Families of the victims have received compensation of Rs1 million each, Yadav said.

The office said six wild elephants were killed in 2025, the highest annual toll since records began in 2005.

According to Yadav, forest encroachment, expanding human settlements, elephants’ attraction to crops and the obstruction of traditional elephant corridors are the main drivers of the growing conflict. Authorities said awareness campaigns, monitoring and rescue efforts are being carried out in coordination with local governments, security agencies and communities.