The mass media is filled with news on climate change, deforestation, the felling of trees for projects, and human- wildlife conflicts, with concerns being raised by naturalists, environmentalists and editors. But the action that led to these catastrophes continue unabated. This, despite the fact that climate and biodiversity are complementary to the survival of man. With all the powers gained through science and technology human beings can withstand the ills of climate change and pollution. But the sufferers are the flora and fauna. In the past, human response to human – wildlife conflict has generally been to kill the suspected wildlife and maybe even develop the wild habitats in an effort to prevent future conflicts. As wildlife conservation has gained more support, traditional lethal retaliation against wildlife is now either illegal, regulated or socially unacceptable. When prey becomes scarce, carnivorous wildlife may look towards livestock as food sources, which often results in conflict between animals and humans which forces government to take measures to resolve them. They include various barriers built between wildlife habitats and human habitations like electric- proof trenches, stone walls, solar fences, and old rail fences. In addition, wild animals are scared back into the forests or trapped and relocated to forests, with compensation for human deaths and crop and property losses. But people near wildlife habitats are afraid to live close to the beasts, some indulge in the electrocution of animals, trapping/ shooting of elephants, snaring, poisoning and killing of tigers against the law. How do we tackle these new challenges in wildlife conservation? The answer by the government is to increase the budget allocation for resolving man- animal conflicts and compensation to the affected. But does it work? No. This might even lead to more suffering for wildlife and people. The following remedies could be explored to resolve the conflict:
- Stop the release of forest lands for developmental projects.
- Avoid highways, railways and waterways through protected areas.
- Ensure that the wildlife habitats are free from summer fires.
- Asses the carrying capacity of protected areas and adjoining forests.
- Revise wildlife management strategies for habitats to ensure that invasive exotic
weeds are uprooted and local grasses reappear. - Manage the protected areas to have different stages of vegetation to meet the
diverse food and shelter requirements of animals. - Stop forest encroachments. Don’t release forest for land grabbers.
- Farmers revolts during human- animal conflicts should not be allowed to turn into
Human verses wildlife.
The ideology of ‘ living with wildlife ‘ will not suit the modern rural man even though the caveman and his successors lived along with wild animals in the forest for centuries. Our forests are dwindling due to human pressure and the release of land for cultivation.
Kodandera Mamatha Subbaiah
