As mentioned
in this article about a census. Jayawardene said one concern was that elephants "will end up in private residences working long hours".
As elephants and horses etc are commonly used as working animals in many parts of the world, I wonder if there are in fact "working time directives" for them anywhere in the world?
The problem of inadvertently "urbanised"elephants sounds a bit like foxes - but bigger!
"These herds are effectively semi-urbanised," Dr Amirtharaj Williams, Asian rhino and elephant programme co-ordinator for the World Wildlife Fund told the Guardian after last year's rampage.
"There are elephants who are getting a taste for food that humans prepare because it is tastier, stronger-smelling and often more nutritious, and that includes rice or molasses-based drinks. Some go looking for it."
Farmers in certain areas set up fences or traps to deliberately electrocute elephants.
Around 400 people are killed each year by elephants in India and nearly a million hectares of farmland are damaged. Around 100 elephants are killed by villagers every year. Latest estimates put India's elephant population at around 21,000 – the largest in Asia.
Other elephants work in temples, logging and military compounds, as well as being kept as "pets" by the rich - this last I think more prevalent in Sri Lanka than India. Temple elephants particularly are at risk of road accidents, as they often have to walk long distances at night from one temple to another. Because of their colour elephants do not show up well at night, despite their size. Of course, the Indian habit of driving without headlights does not help.
