Dr. Jen Shaffer co-authors an article titled, "Human-Elephant Conflict: A Review of Current Management Strategies and Future Directions", published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. In this article, the authors suggest more inclusion of anthropology and human geography into spatial models designed to pinpoint conflict hotspots and suggest alternatives to resolve issues over the long-term - particularly as climate change worsens food and water security issues in Asia and Africa.

Abstract:

“Human-elephant conflict is a major conservation concern in elephant range countries. A variety of management strategies have been developed and are practiced at different scales for preventing and mitigating human-elephant conflict. However, human-elephant conflict remains pervasive as the majority of existing prevention strategies are driven by site-specific factors that only offer short-term solutions, while mitigation strategies frequently transfer conflict risk from one place to another. Here, we review current human-elephant conflict management strategies and describe an interdisciplinary conceptual approach to manage species coexistence over the long-term. Our proposed model identifies shared resource use between humans and elephants at different spatial and temporal scales for development of long-term solutions. The model also highlights the importance of including anthropological and geographical knowledge to find sustainable solutions to managing human-elephant conflict.”

Shaffer, LJ, KK Khadka, J Van Den Hoek, and KJ Naithani (2019) Human-elephant conflict: a review of current management strategies and future directions. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 6:235. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00235

To read the full article, visit: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2018.00235/full?&utm_source=Email_to_authors_&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=T1_11.5e1_author&utm_campaign=Email_publication&field=&journalName=Frontiers_in_Ecology_and_Evolution&id=411066