Elephants fitted with electric shock collars quickly learn to avoid approaching the place where they get shocked, suggesting a way to keep elephants away from crops that may be more humane than alternative approaches
An elephant wearing a shock collar
Surendranie Cabral de Mel
Shock collars could be an effective way to keep elephants from raiding crops in Sri Lanka, and researchers think this approach could be more humane than other strategies for tackling the problem.
Sri Lanka has perhaps the highest density of elephants in the world. Conflict between humans and elephants is a longstanding issue in the country, leading to the deaths of 145 people and 433 elephants in 2022.
To keep the animals away, some farmers use electric fences, but elephants can easily break them by …
