Handbook to Mitigate the Impact of Roads and Railways on Asian Elephants

One of the greatest threats to Asian elephants is habitat loss and fragmentation, particularly resulting from human activities. With the profusion of current and planned linear infrastructure like roads and railways breaking up wildlife habitats across the continent, collisions with cars and trains are becoming more of a threat to Asian elephants. Elephants also have large ranges through which they travel, and this fragmentation is increasingly disrupting their movement.

The first elephant-specific handbook to help countries reduce collisions and provide safe passage for elephants has just been published, coauthored by experts on elephants and transport ecology from the Asian Elephant Transport Working Group—a collaborative effort between the International Union for Conservation of Nature Asian Elephant Specialist Group and the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group. The “Handbook to Mitigate the Impacts of Roads and Railways on Asian Elephants” aims to provide workable solutions for transportation planners and engineers to protect Asian elephants from the negative impacts of roads and railways. WWF and partners, including the United States Agency for International Development and the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, supported the development of the handbook.