Elephant Herd Halts Haridwar Highway Traffic, Highlights Rising Uttarakhand Conflict

• An elephant herd caused chaos on the Haridwar-Laksar highway, temporarily halting traffic.
• Six elephants from Rajaji National Park walked onto the busy road, a video showed them moving past shops.
• The incident highlights the increasing human-wildlife conflict in Uttarakhand, where elephants often venture into human settlements.
• Human-elephant conflict is a long-standing issue in Uttarakhand, with elephants raiding crops and damaging farmland.
• A 12-year-old boy was tragically killed by a wild elephant near Rishikesh in November, underscoring the dangers.

Why It Matters: Growing human-wildlife conflict in Uttarakhand poses increasing danger to residents.