ajay dasai is a consultant with worldwide fund for nature.e has studied the ecology of elephants for more than 30 years. he says they are facing food shortages due to exploitation of forests amid fast economic growth. >> all these contributing for the elephants, and then they are obligated to raid because they have no resources for survival. >> reporter: this young elephant was left behind in a village. it got separated from its herd when being chased away from farmland. >> we tried for four days to rejoin him to the herd, but nothing works. sure, he'll miss his mother. >> reporter: indian elephants are an endangered species and protected by the government. killing or wounding them is prohibited. several measures have been put in place to bring about peaceful co-existence. this deep ditch was dug along the forest boundary to stop elephants from coming out. but security camera footage shows an elephant climbing the bank. for now, locals must depend on their eyes. they stand guard in watchtowers from dusk until dawn, chasing elephants back into