Elephant–Railway Conflict in a Biodiversity Hotspot
Determinants and Perceptions of the Conflict in Northern West Bengal, India
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15326754 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Shreya Dasgupta (Society for Applied Studies, corresponding author), Asish Kumar Ghosh (0000-0001-5735-3606, Society for Applied Studies) |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 81-94 |
| Publication date | 2015-01-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Human Dimensions of Wildlife (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1087-1209 • E-ISSN: 1533-158X |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10871209.2014.937017 |
| OpenAlex | W1983917440 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 10 |
We quantified elephant–train casualties along the 163 km (101 mi) Siliguri-Alipurduar railway line in northern West Bengal, India and assessed stakeholder perceptions about this conflict. We found that casualties have increased post-conversion of this railway line from meter to broad gauge, and are highest during monsoons and winters. Higher casualty risk was associated with closer distances to nearest curve and higher forest cover. Elephants frequently visit near this railway line, and 83% of households living in close proximity to this line sighted elephants during 2012. Most train operators (87%) said that elephant–train collisions had increased, and cited speed, low visibility, and lack of warning systems as main reasons. Among household respondents, reasons for accidents included an increase in both train numbers and speed. Our suggestions for mitigating the conflict include installation of sensor-systems that can warn train drivers about approaching animals, and shifting trains to the alternate existing railway line
Cartography · Environmental resource management · Geography · Hotspot (geology · Perception · Railway line · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Train · Transport engineering · West bengal · Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior · Engineering · Environmental Science · Psychology · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation · Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,5 |
| Citation span | 2020 - 2022 (3) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |