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Rising Human-Elephant Conflicts Claim 300 Lives in India

12/30/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Climate change and population growth drive human-elephant conflicts in India, with up to 300 fatalities.
In Odisha, 70-year-old Maya Murmu was killed by an elephant while collecting water.
The same elephant later returned to her funeral and trampled her body.
Duncan McNair of Save The Asian Elephants says elephants do not attack without provocation.
The World Wide Fund for Nature warns that retaliatory actions from communities could escalate.

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Story summary

Climate change and population growth drive human-elephant conflicts in India, with up to 300 fatalities.
In Odisha, 70-year-old Maya Murmu was killed by an elephant while collecting water.
The same elephant later returned to her funeral and trampled her body.
Duncan McNair of Save The Asian Elephants says elephants do not attack without provocation.
The World Wide Fund for Nature warns that retaliatory actions from communities could escalate.