Human wildlife conflict: Assessment of Socio-psychological perspectives and actual threat from Leopard in Motichur range, Rajaji Tiger Reserve

Abstract

As the proverbs go, “the deeper the roots, the greater the fruits” & “the devil is in the details”, for conservation management to be successful, one must look at multiple aspects and require comprehensive approach. Human-wildlife conflict is not a singular issue of management since it has wider implications and more so, in cases where species restoration in the form of conservation is involved, because social acceptance and better preparations are keys for success of such programs. In this report, information gathered from three different but linked studies carried out under the larger and long-term framework are synthesized, providing an overview of (1) socio-economic conditions and Quality of Life of people, (2) temporal landscape change and people perception on the conflict and (3) comparative status of leopard behavior in the conflict versus non-conflict zones. By studying “Quality of Life”, one can assess the impact of forest resources on the living conditions of people and vice versa. Chapter 1 shows the results of “QOL” study conducted within the villages falling under the 1 km buffer in the Eco-sensitive zone villages of Rajaji Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand from January 2019 to June 2019. This study evaluates the socio-economic dimension of people and focused on demographic status, human dependency on utilization of forest resources and the role of people in management actions. The utilization of forest resources was found to be high in the three districts and there is hardly any participation of the people in the management inputs. The qualitative wellbeing assessment revealed that people are less satisfied with their living condition. The global environment change is increasingly forcing the already dwindled wildlife areas to be even more susceptible to disturbances. Localisation, shifting or disappearance of resources can severely impact wildlife and can even lead to local extinctions. There are many evidences to support this narrative. A study analysing the “changes in landscape” from 1995 to 2018 was also undertaken, which showed an increase in barrenness. Because “Human-Wildlife Conflict” explicitly revolves around the costs of sharing land with dangerous wild animals, it is important to understand the patterns of landscape change. While highlighting the landscape changes over a 20 years period, the second study also focused on the damages done by wild animals, the compensatory schemes, and most importantly the perception of people about wild animals. Though one can never truly eradicate human-wildlife conflict completely, any conflict is a situation of paramount importance to be solved, because any conservation effort does require the support of public at large, particularly the local people who share the space with wildlife. Any spike or change in trend of conflict requires further investigation not for the sole reason saving human fatalities but also for building better human relationships between wildlife managers and public. Since 2014, Motichur range of Rajaji Tiger Reserve has experienced 31 attacks on humans by the resident leopard (Panthera pardus) population. It resulted in 19 human deaths and grievous injuries to 12 people. The epicenter of the conflict is the space surrounding national highway 58, connecting the cities of Rishikesh and Haridwar. Rajaji forest department has been deploying camera traps in the conflict space to reckon the leopard movement patterns and to circle out any suspect animals responsible for the conflict. We intensified the camera trap study focusing on entire Motichur range (excluding the conflict locations) from November 2018 to February 2019. In addition, we visited each conflict site with the forest department officials, and collected information on various attributes related to the site. We found an extremely high leopard count for the winters i.e. 47, with a very high density of 45 animals per 100 square kilometers. We listed down the most suspected leopards involved in conflict based on 3-point criteria. The results of our work will increase our understanding of the adaptability of leopards. The results also reiterate the imperative to shift from a PA centric to a landscape level conservation approach, analyzing the source and drivers of conflicts, including the carrying capacity analysis. There is also an urgent need to include engage communities more closely and develop a short-term and long-term conservation programs.