Reduce human interaction with big species: Study on wildlife attacks 

BENGALURU : With two people killed in tiger attacks recently in Karnataka, and rising human deaths and injuries in tiger, leopard and elephant attacks across the country, it has been a tragic period for the affected families.

In a scientific study released recently which quantifies death and damage, scientists state that farmers in conflict with elephants (very common in Karnataka), suffer 600-900 times higher damage than those in conflict with nilgai or wild pigs, so there is an urgent need to reduce human interaction with big species.

Scientists surveyed and analysed human conflict with 15 major species in over 5,000 households in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and quantified the estimated losses suffered by people living around sanctuaries and national parks.

In a joint collaborative study by Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS), Bengaluru, and University of British Columbia, Canada, researchers have estimated that the losses suffered by humans in conflict with tigers or elephants, is very high compared to a negative interaction with a smaller animal.

On human deaths reported in 2018, the highest losses were in Assam (61), Karnataka (59) and Tamil Nadu (53). The national average for ex-gratia payment per human death was Rs 2.37 lakh, while for human injuries, it was just Rs 7,560.

Studies over a three-year period estimated damages suffered by humans, crops and livestock losses from frequent conflicts. Although human fatalities are rare, the expected cost of human death is much higher than that of frequently occurring crop damage and cattle kills.

In all, 5,196 households in a 10-km buffer area around protected areas were surveyed, and researchers evaluated the significant human cost in valuation of the damage incurred from conflict with different species.

They also uncovered how losses varied across different species and landscapes. Lead author Sumeet Gulati said, "Our study is unique in explicitly valuing, incorporating and comparing the cost of human death to standard measures of losses in human property. Our results are statistically robust and differentiate damage by individual species and region."

Co-author Krithi Karanth added, "This study is one of the largest scientific assessments of human-wildlife conflicts globally. Farmers experiencing negative interaction with a tiger over a year incur damage that is, on average, three times that inflicted by a leopard or 100 times by a wolf."

Scientists suggest the need to re-focus on reducing negative interactions with tigers, elephants and leopards, and recommend a concerted effort to reduce human deaths from certain species.