Forests and wildlife are an important part of the environment. They constitute a vital ecosystem. Every individual and element lives in harmony and shares a bond in the vast food web. Clearing of forests, habitat destruction and waning grasslands force wild herbivores to come out in the open. The carnivores depend on their prey for food. They also come out in the open and sometimes take shelter in sugarcane fields on the forest fringe. This causes avoidable human-wildlife conflict, loss of valuable life and property. The article gives an overview of the problems and possible solution.
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- Incidents of Human wildlife conflict arise from habitat destruction and ecological imbalance, leading to wild animals encroaching on human settlements.
- Notable cases include wolves attacking villages and an elephant killed after being fed firecrackers, highlighting the need for empathy toward wild animals.
- In India, the destruction of forests and expansion of agriculture exacerbate the conflict between humans and wildlife, causing loss of life and property.
- Legislation like the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 has aimed to mitigate these conflicts, yet habitat loss continues due to urban and agricultural expansion.
- To resolve Human wildlife conflict, both the government and communities must promote eco-friendly strategies and raise awareness about wildlife conservation.
Introduction
Recently, some villages in Uttar Pradesh, India, were in the news for not-so-good reasons. Reports of invading wolves causing loss of life and property caught the attention. Apart from wolves, a tiger was also spotted on the outskirts of the city. Reports also came in from other parts of the country about crocodile sightings. The ‘encroaching’ wild animals are becoming a threat. ‘Trespassing’ wild animals are intimidating because they are so-called ‘Man Eaters’.
Heartlessness
Along the same lines, in 2020, concerning news came from Kerala. Local youths fed a gestating wild elephant with firecracker-laced pineapple. The seriously injured animal tried to soothe the burning sensation by standing in water for several days. Later, it left the world. The elephant had also ‘encroached’ on the village. The fault of the animal was that it wanted some food items when lunatics fed it with crackers. Incidents of conflicts and eventual killing are symptoms of a big problem of disturbed eco-balance.
Mute Wild animals need sympathy
News about brutalities against mute wild animals often finds a place in print and electronic media. In the wake of safeguarding themselves, terrified animals attack, causing loss of valuable lives. In countermeasures, valuable wildlife is also lost. Stray wild animals come out into the open not by choice but by chance. The habitat destruction and loss of forest cover have receded their natural habitat. On the same token, the incidence of snakebites and the consequential loss of life is also worrying. The ophidians play a great role in curbing the rodent population. Thus, unfortunate incidents highlight a serious problem of man-animal conflict.
Human-Wildlife Relationship
(A) Conflict
Conflict is a stage of active disagreement when used as a noun. In Nature, the interest of two groups of organisms comes face-to-face. In the case of man-animal conflict, it is the “intruding” wild animal. It sometimes ends up in an unpalatable situation. The rule of ‘Might is right’ plays a leading role. “Man-animal Conflict”, also referred to as “Human-wildlife Conflict”. Crop destruction, livestock predation, and human injury are the main fallouts of the conflict. The confrontations often result in retaliatory action. It poses a significant threat to wildlife that face wrath. It needs to delve into the causes and remedies for the phenomenon.
(B) Right To Defend
Everyone has their say, but how would wild animals defend their case if endowed with a voice? The question ends up in an emotional debate. Humans, having superiority over the wild animals, will complain about the loss of livestock or personal injury to them. The mute wild creatures can’t defend themselves for obvious reasons. As has been mentioned earlier, the “encroachment” by wild animals in human settlements is accidental and circumstantial. An impartial, inclusive and scientific view, hence, is the need to minimise the conflict.
Indian Scenario
(A) Forests
India is bestowed with some of the finest primordial forests teeming with biodiversity of flora and fauna. With time, forests started depleting, which has a long history. The depletion caught momentum during the British period, who exploited the natural wealth of colonial India for minting money. They passed legislation in their Parliament, having no Indian representative. The aim of the legislation was to extract forest wealth. Trees were felled for timber, and wild animals were gunned down for trophies. The mass depletion gave rise to habitat destruction and loss of green cover.
(B) Hunting for Pleasure
The extensive hunting of game animals and birds for recreation and a small amount of food was widespread. Noted naturalist and an expert in Indian wildlife, E.P. Gee, vividly described an incident of ruthless killing in his book “The Wildlife of India”. Thousands of water birds were hunted down, but only a select few were chosen for dinner. Tiger hunting was a sign of valour and bravery by the white elite and the heads of princely states. This practice continued even after the country gained independence.
Post Independence Scenario
The speed of forest and wildlife destruction considerably slowed after “The Wildlife Protection Act 1972” was promulgated. It curbed/regulated the killing and taxidermizing of wild animals. Further legislation aimed to restore forests. Enacted laws and regulations proved to be milestones in protecting trees, forests, wildlife and wetlands. It was a belated but necessary decision to stop the degradation of forests and other natural bodies. Nevertheless, the clearing of forests has not been fully stopped. The trees are cleared for developmental projects and infrastructure development.
Habitat destruction and loss of pastures in the jungle push the wild ungulate, like deer, out of the jungle. Being the staple food of carnivores like tigers, leopards and wolves, the carnivores follow them. This is the main cause of human wildlife conflict.
Tigers And Elephants of India
(A) Tigers
India houses a good number of wild animals, and the diversity is phenomenal. The recently conducted tiger census has revealed 3682 tigers in Indian forests (NDTV report, 29 July 2025). India is the topmost country having the largest tiger population. Being at the top of the food web, the tiger plays a vital role in maintaining ecological balance. On average, one tiger hunts once every two days. Its dietary need is approximately 18 Kilograms of meat per day. This translates to about 1.53 to 1.65 lakh prey per annum (Inputs from Wild Tiger Health Project).
Herbivores keep moving because of the prey-predator relationship. This reduces their population pressure on a particular place and allows the grasses and fodders to grow. It is heartening that the tiger population is steadily increasing. Improved habitat and many more efforts allow the prey base to flourish.
(1) Cane Tigers
The Terai belt of Uttar Pradesh, stretching from Saharanpur to Kushinagar, is a rainfed area. Sugarcane is mainly grown as a cash crop. An average 15-foot-high sugarcane stem creates a thick forest-like environment, suitable for tigers to take shelter. Lactating tigresses or growing cubs found it a haven to stay and feel secure with easy prey to feed upon. They were labelled as “Cane Tigers”. Despite the threat to their lives and properties, villagers often welcome these tigers. Due to abundant food for herbivores, animals like Warthog, Deer, and Porcupines frequent the fields and damage crops. These animals serve as easy prey for tigers residing in cane fields and thus save farmers from damage.
(2) Cane Tigers Are Not of Different Breed
As the name suggests, cane tigers are not a different breed of tiger. They are normal tigers which often take temporary shelter in sugarcane fields to return to the forest. When confronted with humans, they try to avoid them. A tigress with its cubs can often charge. It causes injury or occasional loss of life and livestock. Infuriated villagers would poison tigers. This used to give disguise to poachers.
(3) Human Casualties by Tigers
The human casualties by tigers from 2014 to 2019 is 275 which translates to an average of 55 per year.
(B)Elephants
In India, the elephant population is fairly big; about 30000 elephants roam in the jungle. In certain areas of the country, elephants are blamed for human casualties. This is particularly true in the southern states. They also cause property loss. Loss by the tigers is significantly low. The State Minister of Environment and Forests provided a vivid account. This was in response to a question in Lok Sabha. The account detailed human casualties due to elephants. The minister also detailed the unnatural deaths of elephants. During the five years (2019-20 to 2023-24), 2829 human casualties have been reported. Additionally, 528 elephants died due to various reasons. These reasons include poaching, poisoning, and electrocution.
Other Intruders of Wild
Other than tigers and elephants, bears, leopards, wolves, blue bulls and snakes also inflict significant damage. The crop devastation caused by blue bulls is considerable. They arrive in herds and decimate entire fields. Their prolific reproduction leads to a rapid increase in their numbers. Similarly, deaths due to snake bites have been staggering. They exceeded more than a million in the past twenty years, reported BBC (July 2020).
Responsible Factors
Several factors are responsible for the “Man-Animal Conflict” or “Human-Wildlife Conflict,” Some important points are:
- Ecological Change: The conflict can give rise to a tilt in the balance. Eliminating predators or changing their number causes an increase in the number of prey, changing the vegetation of the area.
- Urbanization
- Agricultural Expansion
- Infrastructure Development
(B)Increasing Population and Changed Crop Pattern
The burgeoning population and resultant increased housing and other allied needs, like schools and hospitals, encroached on farmland. In Uttar Pradesh, which has a mere 6.24 per cent of green cover, the Terai belt has seen a huge transgression of forests into farmlands. A significant shift in cropping patterns was seen when cereal crops were changed to cash crops. Cash crops like sugarcane can withstand the pluvial flood of the flood-prone Terai belt and are more profitable. It benefited the farmers, yet other problems arose. The receding forests cause habitat destruction, which exerts pressure on wild animals to come out in the open. Owing to human activities estimated 53% of land has degraded. The cleared reclaimed land is used for growing sugarcane in the Terai belt of Uttar Pradesh.
(C)Threats
The threatening conflicts cause much long-term damage besides being dangerous to human lives. It can be summarized as:
- Ecological Damage – The destruction of habitats leads herbivores to migrate. This migration creates ecological imbalance and significant harm to the fragile system.
- Conservation Challenge – The damaged ecobalance causes threat to conservation efforts that requires more funds, resources, and manpower.
- Psychological Impacts – Injuries from wild animal attacks leave a deep scar in the psyche of the individual. They push the person into deep shock and trauma.
Later in 2006, an Act was promulgated. The Act was ostensibly created to tackle long-pending demands of tribal forest dwellers. Nevertheless, “The Scheduled Tribe and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006” does not offer benefits for forests. It fails to provide advantages to the forest environment. It is also not beneficial for forest dwellers. Section 3(2) of the Act gives an overriding effect to the Act over the Forest (Conservation) Act. The Act is claimed to give an improved living condition to the forest dwellers and Tribals who inhabited forests. Still, provisions like community centers, fair-price shops, and tap water hardly add value to their life. They only surreptitiously affect their lifestyle and cause impending damage to the ecological framework. They also impact their ethnic and social structure.
To Sum up
Nature is a basket full of flowers and varied living organisms. Each has a definite role to play and survive. All organisms, not just humans, have equal rights to the Earth’s resources and the enjoyment of its abundance. Just as humans seek growth and prosperity, so too do animals and plants. Their rights must also be considered when mooting a developmental program. A balance is needed between development and ecological concerns. The crux is that to avoid Human-Wildlife conflict, confrontation is avoided. Humans have to take the lead.
(A) Government’s actions
To avoid conflict and mitigate the loss, various studies have been conducted in India and worldwide. The premier organisation, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, has conducted an intensive study. They collaborated with various government ministries. As a result, they prepared a document about eco-friendly measures to mitigate the impacts of linear infrastructure. The document thoroughly examines and analyses the problem, suggesting in-depth possible solutions. It is commendable that the government is responsive and striving in this direction. Smart and green infrastructure is the demand of the times. Development strategies need to be carefully crafted to keep a balance between nature and human necessities.
(B) Responsible People
People are responsible. They need to be more responsive and sensitive about nature, wild animals and forests. It is essential for a quality life, besides materialistic things. People need to be sensitised on the issue of human-wildlife conflict.
I welcome your views, comments, and suggestions on potential improvements, as well as your thoughts on the article. Your insights and experiences are crucial for enriching the content and deepening the comprehension of the issue.
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