Dehradun/Jaipur/Kolkata: 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 came into contact largely with tigers, elephants and leopards and lose their lives.
The conflict is defined by the fact of interaction between wild animals and people and 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 giving wildlife authorities on toes. The man-animal conflict can be broadly categorised 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, kill 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-eaters leopard, have been responsible for frequent attacks on humans.
Over the last three years ranging from 2021 to 2023, 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 (71). 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 (23) in 2021, followed by 22 and 18 death cases in 2022 and 2023 respectively. In the state, 13 human deaths were reported in elephant attacks in 2021. The year 2022 accounted for nine deaths and the following year saw five deaths. There were, however, more deaths in leopard attacks in the state which saw 23 deaths in 2021. In next two years, 22 and 18 casualties were reported from the state.
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 from the state.
Death cases in tiger attacks were less in number during the same timeframe from the state. The number, however, saw almost ten fold increase from 2 in 2021 to 17 in 2023. The year 2022 witnessed 16 deaths in tiger attacks in the state.
Man animal conflict in West Bengal’s 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 an average every year, from elephant attacks.
Jungle Mahal Elephant Corridor
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 upto neighbouring Jharkhand, this area also is extremely vulnerable with elephants entering villages and agriculture lands.