Elephant Conservation and Society in India : Encounters, Spaces and Politics

Omtale

The Asian elephant is an endangered species and a cultural icon in both Asia and the West, while in India it is both deified and demonized. Human-elephant encounters and relationships are the focus of this book, which shows how these are politicized and pose challenges for rural development and conservation. The book contributes to debates about nature and society in the emerging field of ‘animal geographies’ and points to ways in which theory developed in this field can invigorate and develop conservation practice. It develops a nuanced understanding of the notion of interspecies encounters and human relationships to the animal world. It draws from a sustained ethnography of human-elephant conflict and co-operation in India to address key questions at the interface of biodiversity conservation, animal and development geographies. The author also addresses the history and contemporary politics of Asian elephant conservation, including how the elephant is caught up in international networks of conservation and governance. He concludes by showing how these debates could suggest novel ways of practising biodiversity conservation and rethinking human-animal relations.