The elephant died in agony last week in the southern state of Kerala, the latest casualty of a growing conflict in South Asia between nature and humans as ever more forest is lost to urban expansion. Forest officials said the explosion caused severe damage to its mouth, leaving the creature unable to eat or drink for days. India is home to nearly 30,000 elephants, equivalent to 60 percent of the world's wild Asian pachyderms. SEE ALSO: Inside a Covid-19 hospital in India, doctors see no end in sightBut urban expansion has put the animals in conflict with humans. About 2,360 people were killed in elephant attacks between 2014 and 2019, according to Indian government data.

Source: Standard Digital June 07, 2020 11:48 UTC