Hyderabad: A growing number of states across the country, including Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and West Bengal, are bearing the brunt of frequent human-animal conflict exposing the plight of helpless people, who unfortunately came into contact with largely tigers, elephants and leopards and lost their lives.
The conflict
The conflict is defined by the fact of interaction between wild animals and people and the resultant negative impact on people or their resources, or wild animals or their habitat. Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) takes place when wildlife requirements overlap with those of human populations, taking a toll on both people and wild animals.
These rising cases also emphasise the need for a policy shift to tackle the menace across the country, where man-animal conflicts are common and rising cases are putting wildlife authorities on their toes. The man-animal conflict can be broadly categorized into three segments such as man-tiger conflicts, man-leopard conflicts and man-elephant conflicts.
The case of West Bengal's Sunderbans, the largest mangrove islands of the world and home to over 500 Bengal tigers, kills 50 to 100 people per year.
India accounts for the loss of 400 people, annually in human-elephant conflicts. Often victims belong to the weaker socio-economic strata of society as per reports from agencies that look after conservation aspects.
According to estimates, leopards kill more humans in India than all other carnivores as human–leopard conflicts are mostly reported from West Bengal, Maharashtra and Assam. Uttarakhand's Corbett National Park, which is famously known for notable man-eater leopards, have been responsible for frequent attacks on humans.
Year wise break up of human deaths due to tiger and elephant attacks In Hills
Over the last three years, as many as 219 human deaths were reported from Uttarakhand. During the same period, 1003 cases of human injuries were reported in such attacks in the state. In 2021, the state accounted for 71 human deaths. The number increased to 82 in the following year, though there was a decrease in the number in 2023, a year which saw 66 deaths in attacks.
The state saw 23 human deaths in 2021, followed by 22 and 18 deaths in 2022 and 2023 respectively. The state recorded 13 human casualties due to elephant attacks in 2021. The year 2022 accounted for nine, and the following year saw five more lives lost in conflict with the pachyderms. There were, however, more deaths in leopard attacks in the state which saw 23 deaths in 2021. In the next two years, 22 and 18 casualties were reported.
Death cases in tiger attacks were less in number during the same timeframe from the state. The number, however, saw an almost ten fold increase from 2 in 2021 to 17 in 2023. The year 2022 witnessed 16 deaths in tiger attacks in the state.
State wise details of human deaths due to tiger attacks In Elephant Corridors West Bengal is another state, which often bears the brunt of man-animal conflict. Such incidents are usually common in areas that run through elephant corridors in Northern and Western parts of the state.
In 2008, there were around 450 elephants. In 2010, the figure went up to 530 elephants and in 2014, the number stood at 640. The present figure of elephants in North Bengal is around 700. The problem, which has been hounding officials, is that the increase in the number of elephants is much higher than the forest area, which keeps shrinking by the day. According to statistics available with the Forest Department, around 35 to 50 people die on average every year, from elephant attacks.
State wise details of Human Deaths due to elephant attacks Jungle Mahal The Jungle Mahal area of Bengal comprising Jhargram, Bankura, Purulia, and Paschim Medinipur districts have also witnessed frequent elephant attacks. Due to the elephant corridor extending up to neighboring Jharkhand, this area also is extremely vulnerable with elephants entering villages and agricultural lands. Jhargram DFO Pankaj Suryavanshi has told ETV Bharat, "Since April 1, 2023, we have recorded 17 human casualties till this year due to humans coming in contact with wild elephants."
The Sunderbans, the largest delta region of the world, is also known for the Royal Bengal Tigers. Shrinking forests, frequent cyclones, rampant erosion and unplanned spread of human habitation have already turned major threats to the already fragile ecosystem in the Sunderbans. People in the area regularly venture in the core forest area to collect honey.
People also traverse the rivulets and canals in the riverine delta region for crab catching and fishing, bringing them to the highly adaptive and agile tigers of the delta. According to forest officials, 13 persons have died in the past five years after they came in direct contact with tigers in the Sunderbans.
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