Human-animal conflict is clear & present danger, and India can’t afford to ignore it

Increasing human and animal population, shrinking forests etc. have made the conflict inevitable. But it’s not as though there are no solutions.

New Delhi: Killings, retaliatory killings, battles for territory, battles for survival.

We aren’t talking about a political battleground, we are referring to a deadly conflict between human beings and animals in India, which has the potential to turn into a full-blown war. And what’s more, the government has only just begun to take note.

Last week, when six-year old tigress Avni, accused of killing 13 human beings, was shot dead by a private hunter’s son in the Pandharkawada region of Maharashtra, there was an outpouring of grief, anger, and protests from several quarters.

Is retaliation the only answer to human-animal conflict? As the human population grows, forest cover shrinks, and humans and animals begin to compete and jostle for the same, limited resources, do we have the necessary wherewithal to contain the problem?

Just a day after Avni was killed, another tigress in Uttar Pradesh was run over and beaten to death by angry villagers after she mauled a 50-year-old man. On the same day, a leopard snuck into the Gujarat secretariat and the sprawling complex had to be cordoned off.

A week before that, seven elephants died of electrocution in Odisha — a state often known as a “graveyard” for elephants. An adult female elephant was deliberately electrocuted in the state’s Rourkela forest division for frequently damaging crops in the area. The killing was labelled a “revenge killing” — an increasingly common phenomenon as human-animal conflict gradually becomes the order of the day.

According to the Environment Ministry, 1,608 human beings were killed between 2014 and 2017 due to this conflict — an average of more than one human being every day.

Of these, most lives are claimed by tigers, elephants, snakes, leopards and bears.

There is no government data on the deaths of animals due to human-animal conflict.

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:
https://theprint.in/governance/human-animal-conflict-is-clear-present-danger-and-india-cant-afford-to-ignore-it/147105/

GajYatra rolls out in Meghalaya

Guwahati : India’s biggest campaign for elephants, the Gaj Yatra is going to be travelling through the Garo Hills landscape of the north-eastern state of Meghalaya over the next four days, touching five identified elephant corridors.

“Elephants symbolise the availability of natural habitat, which portrays the provision of forest cover and food,and sends a strong message that our ecosystem can still support both human and animal population in the State. Depletion of elephant population would therefore mean degradation of their habitat, which in turn, would bring about man-animal conflict. So, this Gaj Yatra aims to spread the message that the elephant as a flagship species is the best indicator of the health of the ecosystem of the State.” Addressing the assembled dignitaries, WTI’s Executive Director & CEO, Mr Vivek Menon said: “We are delighted to flag off the Gaj Yatra from Tura. Meghalaya has set a precedent in securing Right OfPassage for elephants with its unique model of community declared village reserve forests – a model that can and should be emulated in other parts of our country. The Nokmas, State Government and the GHADChave a key role in securing these elephant corridors and our success shows what is possible with political will and public support.” Speaking on the occasion,Shri James PK Sangma, Hon’ble Minister for Home, lauded the organisers for this noble initiative and expressed that he had gained more information about the objectives of the Gaj Yatra and the importance of the protection of the National Heritage Animal. Terming the conservation mission to protect the elephants as crucial, he reiterated that school children are the most important stakeholders for preserving our environment and maintaining the ecosystem of the region.


 To read the full article, click on the story title.