Uttarakhand is a state in northern India, sitting in the lap of mighty Himalayas. It is known for its rich natural resources, picturesque landscapes, various Hindu pilgrimage sites and enormous biodiversity. The total area of the state is 53, 483 sq. km, 65% of which is covered by forests. Hence, it is home to a large population of wildlife, including tigers, elephants, leopards, and bears, sharing space with humans. Consequently, it has constantly been grappling with the issue of human-wildlife conflict.
The conflict has led to casualties both on the sides of civilians as well as wild animals. According to the state-forest department data, about 1396 leopards died in Uttarakhand from 2000-2020. In the same period, around 500 people lost their lives to leopard attacks.
In this article, let us have a closer look at the causes, consequences and remedies of this pressing problem.
Causes of Human-Wildlife Conflict in Uttarakhand
Shrinking habitat: The primary cause of human-wildlife conflict in Uttarakhand is the shrinking habitat of wildlife due to human activities. Continuous changes in forest cover and anthropogenic pressures are forcing large groups of animals to venture into landscapes outside the reserve forest. As the human population and development increases, forests are being cleared for agriculture, infrastructure, and urbanization. This has resulted in fragmentation of habitats and the isolation of wildlife populations. This loss of habitat has forced animals to venture out into human settlements in search of food and shelter, leading to conflict situations.
Illegal wildlife trade: According to a TRAFFIC study entitled, “Illuminating the Blind Spot: A study on illegal trade in Leopard parts in India”, as many as four leopards a week have been poached for the last ten years in India, predominantly for their skin. Uttarakhand alone accounted for a whopping 20% of these poaching incidents. Most of these illegal wildlife products are smuggled to nearby Asian countries like Myanmar, Laos and China.
The changing weather patterns and climate change: Natural disasters like droughts, floods, forest fires, exaggerated by the climate change crisis, harm the natural wildlife populations of the area. Since 2000, when the state was carved out of the existing Uttar Pradesh, 54,800 hectares of forest cover has been destroyed by wildfires in Uttarakhand. Because of destruction of their natural habitats, animals have begun to move into semi-urban and urban areas in quest of food and shelter.
Consequences of Human-Wildlife Conflict
Human-wildlife conflict has severe consequences for both humans and wildlife. According to a report published by Titli Trust, in 2021-22, “Not a single month passes in Uttarakhand when incidents of attack by leopards, tigers, elephants, or other wildlife animals are not reported. Leopard attacks top the list and are the most severe.”
On the one hand, it poses a threat to the safety and lives of people living in areas adjacent to forests. Wildlife can attack humans, resulting in injuries or fatalities. In addition, animals can damage crops and property, leading to economic losses for the people.
On the other hand, it also threatens the survival of wildlife. With increasing conflict situations, animals are often hunted, trapped, or poisoned, leading to a decline in their population. This, in turn, affects the ecosystem, as the loss of a species can have a cascading effect on the food chain and the balance of the ecosystem.
Steps Taken to Address Human-Wildlife Conflict
The government of Uttarakhand has taken several steps to address the issue of human-wildlife conflict. One of the primary steps has been the establishment of protected areas, such as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, to conserve wildlife habitats. The state has 12 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, covering an area of 13,800 square kilometers. Moreover, connecting protected areas through wildlife corridors is critical.
Another step has been the development of eco-tourism and community-based conservation programs. Since 2011, the Uttarakhand forest department has been working with NGOs, namely Titli Trust and Wildlife Conservation Society– India (WCS-India) in order to reduce human-wildlife conflict. These programs aim to involve local communities in conservation efforts and provide them with economic benefits. By involving communities, these programs not only create a sense of ownership but also help in reducing conflict situations. One of the programms launched by the government is “The Living with Leopards programme” or “guldar ki dagdiya” as it has been renamed in Uttarakhand.
The Living with Leopards Programme
It was originally initiated by the Maharashtra forest department in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, where it turned out to be a huge success.
Sanjay Sodhi, the founder of the Titli Trust describe the programme as follows, “Under the ‘Living with Leopards’ programme, primary response teams were formed at the village level, which used to give us information about the appearances of leopards in an area and report instances of leopard attacks. A rapid response team comprising officers and employees of forest departments, veterinary doctors, and forest guards was formed. This team was trained and provided with all the necessary equipment. Along with this, awareness drives were conducted and people were told to carry out certain tasks, including cleaning up the bushes and keeping their homes well lit. They were also told to walk in groups while venturing into forest areas.”
The program has shown good results in some districts in Uttarakhand, with the leopard attacks decreasing significantly. Unfortunately, it failed to show any improvement in other districts. Some of the challenges in these areas are lack of resources and human resources as well as lack of interest by the forest department officials in tackling the issues.
Other steps being taken by the government to mitigate the conflict situation are:
- Solar fencing, construction of anti-wildlife walls and elephant-proof trenches around villages to prevent wildlife from entering human settlements.
- Water conservation
- Eradication of wild bushes like lantana, and
- Installation of solar lights.
Compensation Schemes
In addition, compensation schemes have been implemented for those who suffer losses due to conflict situations. Recently at the 18th meeting of the Uttarakhand State Wildlife Board, chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the government announced to increase the compensation amount given to the family members of those killed by wild animals, from INR 4 lakh to INR 6 lakhs. People who are seriously injured in human-wildlife conflicts will be given INR 1 lakh, as opposed to INR 50,000 previously. This increment was done in sight of the recent increase in the incidents of human-wildlife conflicts in the state.
Conclusion
The state of Uttarakhand is a paradise for nature lovers. It also has an important role to play in the conservation of flora and fauna. At the same time, man-animal conflict is a growing concern in the state. It is a complex issue that requires urgent attention, as it not only affects the livelihoods and safety of the people but also threatens the survival of wildlife. Hence, effective long-term strategies need to be devised and implemented to safeguard both humans and wildlife in the state. This will also preserve the age-old relation of respect and care between the local communities and the forests.
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Written by: Ankit Dhoundiyal