Tamil Nadu election 2026: Negative human-wildlife interactions a major issue in Gudalur constituency

It has been only a month since two plantation workers were killed in an accidental encounter with a wild elephant in Devarshola, Gudalur – the constituency at the forefront of negative human-animal interactions in Tamil Nadu, where a mix of flawed government policy, tolerance of encroachers on unsettled land over many decades and shrinking habitats for wildlife have led to the perfect concoction for the region becoming one of the most prone to antagonisms between humans and wildlife.

“There is almost zero chance for politicians who are pro-wildlife to win the MLA seat in Gudalur,” said N. Sadiq Ali, founder of the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust, who said that negative human-animal interactions are politicised to gain votes each year. “While politicians try to outdo each other in taking a tough stance against wildlife, almost no one wants to address the underlying factors causing it, including habitat loss, urbanisation and disappearance of animal corridors due to encroachments,” he said.