Satellite Collar Installed on 'Dhurbe' Elephant Following Deadly Attack Near Chitwan National Park

 

Kathmandu. Chitwan National Park has successfully fitted a satellite tracking collar on the wild elephant known as 'Dhurbe', days after it killed a mother and her son near the park. Authorities say the move will enable real-time tracking of the elephant and help prevent future human-wildlife conflict.

Chief Conservation Officer Dil Bahadur Pun said the elephant was safely tranquilized and collared at around 10:00 pm on Wednesday, following 10 days of continuous tracking. The operation took place about 200 metres east of Sukhivhar Post after teams finally located the elephant.

According to Pun, efforts to capture Dhurve began on July 5, but repeated attempts to dart the elephant were unsuccessful because it kept moving from place to place. The operation was carried out despite heavy rain, dense vegetation, and challenging terrain, with support from the Nepali Army and the park's technical team. 

Explaining the technology, Chitwan National Park Information Officer Avinash Thapa Magar said the collar is a satellite-based GPS tracking device manufactured in Africa and does not require a SIM card.

"The GPS unit connects directly with satellites," he said. "When weather conditions are favourable, it transmits the elephant's location at intervals as short as every 10 minutes."

The location data can be accessed through a secure online portal using authorized login credentials and displayed on satellite-based mapping systems similar to Google Earth. However, Thapa Magar said heavy cloud cover and intense rainfall can weaken the satellite connection, delaying location updates by five to six hours.

He added that the collar's battery life depends on how frequently location data is transmitted. If configured to send updates every 10 minutes, the battery lasts around 1.5 to 2 years. Increasing the interval to 30 minutes or one hour can extend its lifespan to 2 to 3 years.

The device also incorporates geofencing technology, allowing park officials to receive automatic alerts when the elephant enters designated community forest areas. Although the tracking system is accessible only to park authorities, nearby communities will be notified through buffer zone user committees, community forests, anti-poaching youth patrols, and local representatives if the elephant is detected moving toward human settlements.

Pun said Dhurbe has been living in the forest for the past eight years and had not previously caused significant damage to nearby communities.

"After the recent fatal attack that claimed two lives, we decided to place the elephant under close surveillance to improve public safety," he said.

According to Pun, the collar was obtained through a wildlife researcher working with the national park rather than purchased by the park itself. Similar tracking collars have previously been used on African elephants for behavioural research. While the exact cost is unknown, Pun estimated that such a device could cost up to Rs 800,000.

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