Hi, Neighbor!

Indian elephants aren’t like other elephants. They’re smaller, for one thing. But the animals that inspired The Great Elephant Migration are different in another way, too. They live alongside people.

Indian elephants like to live in a specific kind of place. They prefer forests and grasslands. These areas have lots of food and water. But such places are becoming harder to find. People have been cutting down trees. Elephants’ habitats are used for farming and building. So the elephants have to find somewhere else to live.

With fewer places to go, elephants have started making their way into human villages. In some parts of Southern India, elephants and people are neighbors.

A sign warns drivers to slow down. Wild elephants live nearby. Drivers may come across them in the roadway.

People are still figuring out how to live with their new neighbors. There are problems. Elephants are messy eaters. Sometimes, they eat people’s crops. This makes life harder for farmers. And people have to be extra careful. They have to watch out for elephants crossing the road, as in the photo above.

Many people are trying to keep the elephants safe. They’re working to protect elephant habitats. And they’re helping humans and elephants be good neighbors.