Human-Wildlife Conflict

Human-Wildlife Conflict

Human-wildlife conflict is not a new scenario, it continues for thousands of years. Earlier we Humans were dependent and coexisted with nature as a part of the system. These start changing when humans gain the power to control the environment and change it through their will. cultivation and domestication led us to Complacency so we had the time to strengthen social bonds and hierarchy was formed. It gave him more chance of survivability so groups became organized villages and later these villages became towns and cities. In the last two millenniums, the human population increased tremendously, especially in the last 500 years. In 2020 it reached 7.8 billion so fulfilling the need itself is a major problem, it leads to deforestation by turning the forest lands into agricultural lands.

Habitat loss:

Forest lands are cleared for various purposes including agriculture, human settlements, construction of dams, and monoculture plantations. Increased demand in agricultural products and industrial demands leads to monoculture plantations like palm oil plantation and rubber plantation. This habitat loss leads to species extinction and contains the animals in minimal and pocketed space so conflicts between humans and wildlife are unavoidable. In India many species of larger mammals lives outside the protected area like wolves, leopard and striped hyena when they encounter with the human it will lead to death in many incidents for both of them. If it comes to herbivores like the bonnet, rhesus, hanuman langur, and blackbucks more than 50% of the population present in human habitation. Especially macaques' high adaptability helps them to increase their population successfully compared to their natural habitat. These species cause huge damage to agricultural productivity so local people cause them a huge threat.

Fragmentation: 

Habitat fragmentation is also a major cause of human-wildlife conflict. Prime examples for fragmentation that cause conflict will be served below.

 

1. The western ghats of Tamil Nadu are rich in biodiversity especially its homes to many endemics. Tea plantations of Anaimalais is a prime example of fragmentations of the forest it endangers animals like lion-tailed macaque this primate species is a specialist for evergreen forest types with preferential altitude and weather because of fragmentation leads to loss of continuous canopy so they need to come to the ground for reach another fragmented forest patch when they reach the ground they are vulnerable to predators and humans and they hit by the vehicles so often.

2. Palakkad gap is located between the Nilgiri Hills to the north and Anaimalai Hills to the south.  24-30 km with splits the western ghats, forest cover was converted into human habitation area and this Gap used as an important transportation route for Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Due to this Gap elephants from Nilgiris and anaimalais got trapped their migration ceased. Elephants try to cross the gap but they will get hit by trains and vehicles. In these areas, conflicts will happen in high numbers.

Poor quality:

Poor quality of the forest is one of the main reasons for human-wildlife conflict examples like Invasive species.

Invasive Species like Lantana camara (common lantana)  and Parthenium invading the forest vigorously reduce the productivity of native species that serve as food for herbivores, So that leads to food scarcity for animals so species enters the human habitation and causing the conflict with the human. Carnivore numbers are directly proportional to the herbivore population likewise herbivores number is based on the quality of the forest so forest quality is an important component for Human and Wildlife Conflict.

In this Current scenario, Human and wildlife conflict is unavoidable but we can minimize the damage for both sides by spreading awareness to the people about the importance of Wildlife and creating a curriculum that has the motto for conserving nature for the future generation.