Human Animal Conflict

Transcription

1 Special Supplement August 2017 Human Animal Conflict Human and animal conflict has been in news for last five decades in our country. According to data submitted in Rajya Sabha by Government of India (GoI) on 19 November 2016, 1360 people were killed by tigers and elephants between April 2013 and March The figures have almost doubled compared to previous three years ( ). During , a total of 189 elephants and 110 tigers were killed by humans. Along with this loss of human and animal lives, crops, livestock and property were also lost due to conflict. Human Animal Conflict ( 1 )

2 Human and animal conflict has been in news for last five decades in our country. According to data submitted in Rajya Sabha by Government of India (GoI) on 19 November 2016, 1360 people were killed by tigers and elephants between April 2013 and March The figures have almost doubled compared to previous three years ( ). During , a total of 189 elephants and 110 tigers were killed by humans. There is no data about other wild animals. Along with this loss of human and animal lives, crops, livestock and property were also lost due to conflict. Nearly 25,344 livestock animals were killed by wild animals, during the past five year period. Mostly, poor and vulnerable people, such as those from tribal communities, farmers and livestock rearing people etc. who are living in peripheries of the forest areas and villages are becoming victims of conflict and many wild animals have been killed due to this conflict. This tragedy is largely, caused by human beings for various reasons including their survival, progress and greed. If this situation continues, in future human beings may face ecological problems. Though, central and state governments are implementing Acts, Policies and initiatives to address this conflict, the outcome are not at a desirable level. One needs to understand this problem in a comprehensive way to come up with solutions. The rising conflict, between humans and animals is happening across the country. While in some states there is high death rate, due to these conflicts. In states like West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand, human and animal conflicts have become a regular affair; with the highest number of people being killed in West Bengal (307), Assam (250) and Odisha (214) between April 2013 to March The conflicts with wild cats and elephants, mostly occurs in villages and small towns which are situated on the fringe of forest areas. However, leopards are frequently entering in big towns and cities, which are far away from forests. In 2016, leopards entered cities like Gurgaon, Mumbai, Nainital, Meerut and Bhopal. According to the Director of Centre for Wildlife Bangalore, spread of leopards is five times higher than tigers. Human and animal conflict is not only confined to elephants, tigers and leopards, but it is occurring in various forms. Animals like monkeys, bears, antelopes (nilgais), deer, rhino and wild pigs are damaging crops in agriculture fields. Human, livestock animals and wildlife loss is the worst form of the human-animal conflict. An average of 330 sq. Km crop was damaged per year during Conflicts are frequent, in wildlife territorial region, as humans are expanding in the wildlife core zones, by expanding agriculture activities and livestock rearing. Thereby, reducing space for animals, nearly 650 wildlife zones are present in our country. Around 28,000 elephants are estimated to be in the country distributed in 1,09,500 sq. Km. It is equal to 3% of our country s total geographical area. Out of 28,000 elephants, 14,000 elephants live near human habitations and remaining elephants live in Protected Areas (PAs). According to the Tiger Estimation Report (TER), 2016, there are 2500 tigers in the country and out of these, 725 tigers are outside of PAs. There are 661 PAs covering 4.8% of the Geographical areas. They are as follows Protected Areas in the Country S. No Type of Project Number 1 National Parks Wildlife Sanctuaries Conservation Reserves 43 4 Community Reserves 04 Total 661 Human Animal Conflict ( 2 )

3 The government is also planning to establish 27 Elephant Reserves (ERs) in the country in an area of 60,000 sq. Km. There are many causes for human-animal conflict. Depleting forest areas and encroachment of those areas by human beings are the prime causes for this conflict. According, to the Forest Survey of India (FSI), around one-third of dense forest areas have been lost and half of the wildlife corridors have vanished. This situation has led to wild animals unrest, sufferings and brought humans nearer to wildlife territories leading to dangerous situation. Actually, the fault is not of the animals, but of human beings. They are encroaching animals natural habitats to fulfil their needs, for their survival, and also for their greed, which forces animals to enter into human settlements. Human and animal conflict has more specific causes, which are mentioned below. 1. Habitat fragmentation and shrinking habitat: Wild animals require large areas of forest land for searching food, water and shelter. Construction of roads, canals, mining projects and thermal projects are fragmenting wild animals habitats and reducing the size of their habitats. 2. Encroachment of forest areas: Growing population and limited resources are forcing people, particularly local people, towards encroachment of forest areas for agriculture and settlement purposes. 3. Increasing disturbance: People are entering forest areas for fuel wood collection, fodder, water and Non Timber Forest Produces (NTFPs) and livestock rearing. Thus, creating disturbance animals in its natural habitats. 4. Cultivation around wildlife areas and changes in cropping pattern: Local people cultivate crops on fringes of forest areas. The rise in cultivation of commercial crops such as sugarcane, cotton, banana etc., provide opportunity for wild animals to feast on crops and also hide in fields. When the locals, visit their fields, they are attacked by wild animals. 5. Humans expansion into animal s natural habitats for firewood and NTFPs: Forest dwellers, continuous dependence on limited forest resources for various consumption purposes, is pressurizing on animal s natural habitats. As locals are unable to collect various forest based products in peripheral zones of forests, the continuous expansions in core areas is accelerating the conflict. 6. Scarcity of water in summer season and diverting of water natural drainage system in the forest areas: It has been observed and noted, that most of the human animal conflicts occur during summer season. The locals, who enter in core zones for collection of NTFPs, rearing of livestock close to water resources in summer, the attacks are found to be frequent. With the onset of development and its expansion and diversion of water, natural drainage systems are also forcing wild animals to come in search of water. This, is accentuating the conflicts between humans and animals. Human and animal conflict is impacting people s lives, livelihoods, properties, crops, livestock animals and the life of wildlife. Tribal communities, vulnerable, marginalized and poor communities, who are forest dependent and living near and across borders on forest fringes for survival are the victims of conflict. The above communities or their activities are not the main cause for this conflict, large scale development projects, mining industries, roads and canals construction etc., are the main causes for this conflict. This conflict s results are many, which are as follows... Human Animal Conflict ( 3 )

4 1. Loss of wild animals life 2. Loss of human life 3. Crop and other properties damage 4. Injuries to humans 5. Injuries to animals 6. Loss of livestock animals life Government of India (GoI) is providing financial support to state governments and Union Territory (UT) governments under centrally sponsored schemes for Project Tiger, Project Elephant and Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats. Ex-gratia for wild animals victims is the responsibility of concerned state and UT governments. GoI has been initiating the following activities through state and UT governments to reduce human animal conflict... i. Providing support to state governments for improvement of wild animals habitats by arranging food and water facilities in their natural habitats. It reduces wild animals movements across their territories for food and water. ii. Encouraging governments to create PAs and wildlife corridors for conservation of wildlife. iii. Conducting awareness programs to sensitize people to reduce human-animal conflicts. iv. Conducting training programs to forest staff, police and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) members to address the problems of the human-animal conflict. v. Designing guidelines to state governments for management of human-animal conflict. vi. Providing technical and financial support to state governments for development of necessary infrastructure and other facilities to restrict the movements of problematic animals through tranquilization and shifting them into rescue centers and releasing them back into their natural habitats. vii. Providing needful support to state governments to construct boundary walls or solar fences around sensitive areas to prevent wild animals attacks. viii. Supporting state governments in ex-gratia payments to the victims or the families of those injured or have lost their life in human-animal conflict. ix. Providing support to state governments for establishing eco-development activities in the villages around PAs and facilitation of community participation in Pas management. x. Supporting research and academic institutions and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) who are working on reducing human and animal conflict. State Forest Departments (SFDs), Wildlife Institution of India (WII), National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and other research institutions are using devices like radio collars with very high frequency, Global Positioning System (GPS) and satellite etc. Parliament passed Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 for protection of plants and animals in the country. The main objectives of the Act are as follows... Prohibition of hunting of specified wild animals, birds and plants. Setting up and management of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Control on trade and commerce in wildlife and wildlife products. In 1982, GoI established Wildlife Institute of India (WII) under Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change Human Animal Conflict ( 4 )

5 (MoEFCC). It is run by Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education. It conducts trainings for managers who work on wildlife protection and management. Addressing the human-animal conflict is a challenging task for governments, CBOs and other organizations. There are two strategies, such as short-term and long-term methods to address the conflict. Mostly, short-term methods are being applied (focus on symptoms or problems) rather than longterm methods (focus on causes). Communities practice traditional methods such as making noise by shouting, beating drums, burning bamboo, bursting fire crackers, putting high voltage lights at the entry point of the fields, making platforms on trees and guarding collectively in fields. Communities are constructing electrical fencing around the fields. West Bengal Forest Department installed a 70 km electric fence to prevent wild animals entry in human habitations. However this is dangerous for wild animals. In some places, due to loss of human life, loss of livestock and crop damage, people are giving poison to wild animals and killing them. Forest department officials are practicing short-term solutions; for instance, whenever they catch wild animals in human habitations and nearby areas, they are leaving them in forest areas or wildlife sanctuaries after catching those animals. But these short-term methods, cannot ensure sufficient results in addressing human-animal conflict. Forest department, alone cannot solve the human animal conflict. The issue needs comprehensive plans and collective efforts from all the key stakeholders which includes Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), agriculture department, revenue department, Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDA), insurance companies and local communities. We can set some good practices in place for reducing human animal conflict in the country. For example, Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu & Kashmir (DWP, J&K) designed and implemented a community managed method. Department officials identified 100 high conflict villages, 50 moderate villages in the state based on conflict records, and selected five youths from each village. They were trained on human animal conflict management. These trained community professionals take immediate measures in protecting human, animal lives, properties and inform, it to the DWP people. This initiative provides a space for villagers in decision making and implementation of measures to address the conflict. The media sensational reports (Example - Newspaper headline: Elephant Invades City 29 January 1985) are also increasing existing fears in people s minds about wild animals. Local populations have always had symbiotic relationship with their immediate environs surrounding them. Sensational reports are creating a picture as though wild animals are encroaching upon human territory, attacking and killing humans. This has forced local people to demand inappropriate and immediate actions (mostly killing the wild animals). Actually, wild animals are inherently fearful of humans and the attacks of wild animals on human are results of accident, due to sudden appearance of both humans and animals in difficult times. These kinds of situations frighten animals and they react by attacking humans to escape from the place. Attacking a human with intent is a very rare phenomenon. Human and animal conflict has deep rooted causes and cannot be solved immediately or with short-term methods. Directly or indirectly people prefer killing wild animals, which is wrong on many levels. On ethical grounds, every Human Animal Conflict ( 5 )

6 living creature has intrinsic right to live on the planet irrespective of their utility to humans. Particularly, large animals play a vital role in an ecosystem and food web. Disappearance of key animals may lead to disruption of ecosystem. The protection of forest cover is a key aspect in reducing human animal conflict. Increasingly, forests are being cut down to make space for our growing population and its ever growing needs. What we need to understand is that, animals are not invading our spaces, but the truth is that humans have encroached into wild animals natural habitats. It is the key cause behind the conflict. People s representatives, concerned department people, research professionals, CSO s and community have to understand human animal conflict properly and focus on long-term methods along with short-term methods and design wild animals human centred measures. We still do not have a comprehensive understanding about the problem. It requires tremendous political commitment and sensitization of people on wild animals concerns. Human Animal Conflict ( 6 )