In response to rising human-elephant conflicts, Bangladesh is planning to declare the elephant habitats in its northeastern parts a protected area for the species. The country is one of the few where Indian elephants (Elephas maximus indicus) are found, with an estimated wild population of 268 resident elephants, all in the southern districts. The IUCN declared the species critically endangered within Bangladesh, where they primarily inhabit the southern hilly forests, and also the northeastern parts. The elephants of the northeastern habitat are considered “non-residents,” which weren’t counted in the census: They migrated from neighboring India’s Meghalaya state a few years ago as they’ve done for generations, but they haven’t been able to return since 2019 due to the closed elephant passage at the international border installed and maintained by India. Consequently, the trapped elephants roam the region in search of food through the seasons. Conflicts between humans and elephants thus rose over the years. Following a story about the crisis published by Mongabay on March 12 this year, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) sent a team of forest officials and experts to visit the region and subsequently made the decision to declare the zone “protected.” Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor to the ministry told Mongabay, “I personally visited the area on May 26, to understand the gravity of the situation. Initially, we are working on declaring the area as protected and finding ways to reduce conflicts and damages. At the same time, we will continue to talk…This article was originally published on Mongabay