Key takeaways

• Asian elephants in Arunachal Pradesh have been recorded at the highest documented elevation for the species worldwide.
• Habitat loss and development are increasing human-elephant conflicts, threatening people, livelihoods, property, and elephants.
• New statewide data is strengthening understanding of elephant movement, habitat needs, and conflict hotspots.
• Science, government leadership, community participation, and habitat protection support the state’s roadmap for moving toward coexistence.

In the mountains of the northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, elephants are challenging our assumptions on what we know about how high they can go within their range. Earlier this year, herds have been recorded at elevations of over 10,400 feet above sea level—the highest documented presence of Asian elephants anywhere in the world. This remarkable finding underscores both the resilience of elephants and the complexity of conserving them in a rapidly changing Himalayan region. As herds move across steep terrain, forests, farms, roads, and settlements, maintaining safe, connected habitats and effectively managing adverse impacts become essential for both elephants and people.

To better understand the status and trends of human-elephant conflict, a statewide assessment of elephant distribution, human-elephant conflict hotspots, habitat pressures, and landscape connectivity was conducted between December 2024 and March 2026 by the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department and WWF-India. This is the first comprehensive effort to understand the scale, intensity, and patterns of human-elephant interactions across the state.