In the Nepalese part of the Terai there were probably more than
1000 elephants in the mid 20th century.However, a malaria eradication program in the 1950s followed
by a human resettlement program led to heavy loss of continuous forestland, which reduced suitable habitat to small, partially or
completely isolated fragments, leading to a drastic reduction in
population size.The largest of these is the Bardia
National Park. In the 1970s and 1980s, elephants in Bardia were
on the brink of extinction, consisting of 10–15 seasonal visitors
in the monsoon.However, in
1994 numbers increased abruptly due to immigration, probably
from India.The current all-year population is now
estimated at approximately 80 animals, of which 30 occupy the
Babai valley northeast of our study area.In contrast to most other remaining habitat fragments in the Terai,
narrow natural corridors – albeit degraded – still connect Bardia National Park with semi-isolated elephant populations on both
sides of the border.