Bhutan’s new farm fencing program could be costly for wildlife (commentary)

Bhutan’s new farm fencing program could be costly for wildlife (commentary)

On July 17, 2025, Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan’s oldest protected area, posted on its Facebook page: “Wild Friends Aren’t Always Friendly.” The message referred to a midnight incident in which elephants damaged several vehicles parked inside a newly constructed parking area secured by a boundary wall, concertina wire fencing, and a thorn-gated entrance. This event at Manas is not an isolated occurrence. Across Bhutan, such encounters are be…