Man Vs Wild in Pictures: Elephants Battle for Space in Assam

What happened when a herd of wild elephants strayed into a village in Assam? Check out these photos.

A forest official spots a wild elephant at Misamari, Guwahati. (Photo: AP)

Assam is home to the highest number of wild elephants in India. While around one-third of the state’s land area is covered in forests, the green cover is constantly under threat from human encroachment.

Assam is no stranger to human-wildlife conflict. Between 2006 and 2016, wild elephants have killed 785 people, while 225 elephants have lost their lives due to poaching, electrocution, poisoning etc.

A wild elephant flees after being chased by villagers at Misamari village on the outskirts of Guwahati on 9 February 2017. (Photo: AP)

The Amchang wildlife sanctuary often witnesses these instances of conflict, which unfold when elephants and humans cross paths.

On the outskirts of the sanctuary lies the small, flourishing village of Misamari. Wild elephants regularly stray into Misamari in search of food, only to be met with hostile humans who use sticks, fire, crackers and sometimes even poison to chase them away.

On 11 January this year, a woman named Robin Murmu was trampled to death by a wild elephant who strayed out of Amchang to find food.

This Quint Lens curation of pictures by AP’s Anupam Nath chronicles the events of 9 February 2017, when a herd of wild elephants entered Misamari yet again, sparking a chaotic confrontation between the residents and the four-legged visitors.

Forest guards try to chase away the wild elephants that strayed from the Amchang wildlife sanctuary. (Photo: AP)

Villagers use domestic buffaloes and set fire to grass to keep the wild elephants out. (Photo: AP)

Women and children gather to watch the confrontation. (Photo: AP)

A police official stands guard on a railway track as villagers try to chase away the wild elephants. (Photo: AP)

A young wild elephant waits with the rest of the herd near Misamari. (Photo: AP)

A forest official tries to shoo an angry pachyderm away. (Photo: AP)

Police officer uses a firecracker to scare the elephants. (Photo: AP)

Villagers set fire to the grass. (Photo: AP)

The elephants flee after spotting the flames. (Photo: AP)

Smoke fills the area as villagers intensify efforts to chase the elephants away. (Photo: AP)

The fire and smoke persuades some of the elephants to retreat. (Photo: AP)

A villager watches the spectacle from a tree. (Photo: AP)

A villager pelts stones at the wild elephants. (Photo: AP)

The elephants have had enough. They charge at the villagers. (Photo: AP)

Villagers drop their things and flee the scene. (Photo: AP)

A forest official fires in the air in an attempt to scare the elephants, while the villagers run to safety. (Photo: AP)

(Quint Lens is a selection of the most vivid imagery created by our in-house pool of talent, and from across the web, created and curated with an eye on for that Quintessential twist. In this section, you can find some of the most refreshing camera and mobile photography documenting current news events, the history and everyday culture of India and the world, heartbreaking stories that can only be conveyed through pictures, celebrations and revolutions; basically, anything that simply needs to be CliQed!)