Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Kumar Pushkar has attributed the rise in human-animal conflict to growing human and wildlife populations, coupled with the rapid expansion of agriculture into forest buffer zones.

Mr. Pushkar was speaking after inaugurating a two-day national seminar on human-animal conflict, organised by Kuvempu University at Shankarghatta on Thursday.

He noted that the total area under cultivation had expanded significantly in recent years. “Earlier, stretches of five to 10 km around forest boundaries remained uncultivated. Now, cash crops and food crops are grown right up to the forest edge, with houses and agricultural lands directly adjoining forest areas. The moment animals step out, conflict begins,” he said.

Co-existence

Mr. Pushkar said infrastructure development, particularly road construction and heavy vehicular traffic, had further disrupted animal movement and intensified conflict. “Besides, tolerance level of people has dropped considerably. A minor incident is amplified through social media, drawing large crowds and protests,” he observed.

With the increase in population of both human beings and wildlife, man stood on one side and millions of other species on the other, he said. “It is a conflict between one species and the rest. Notably, every other species co-exists, it is only humans who are in conflict. That is precisely why we need to think seriously about mitigation and chart a meaningful co-existence policy,” he said.

The PCCF pointed out that wildlife populations had grown substantially over the years. From around 200 tigers in the State approximately 15 years ago, the number has risen to 563, the second highest in the country. Karnataka also leads nationally in elephant population, with 6,395 elephants. The State has over 40,000 sq km of forest cover, of which 28%- nearly 11,000 sq km- falls within protected areas. “This protection has directly contributed to the growth in wildlife populations,” he said.

Mr. Pushkar recalled that when he joined the service, conflict incidents were largely confined to the southern landscapes of Bandipur in Chamarajanagar and Nagarahole. In recent years, however, incidents have been reported across Hassan, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga and several other districts.

“In the last five years, the number of conflict incidents has nearly doubled from 27,000 to 50,000. Compensation payouts have correspondingly risen from ₹18 crore to ₹70 crore,” he said. He commended the Kuvempu University for organising the seminar and urged the organisers to share research findings with the Forest Department to aid in conflict mitigation efforts.

H.N. Kumara, Principal Scientist at the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, noted that human-animal conflict has deep historical roots, running almost parallel to the course of civilisation. He pointed out that ancient texts contain references to such conflict and emphasise the importance of co-existence.

T.N. Prakash Kammaradi, agro-economist, Sharath Ananthamurthy, Vice-Chancellor of Kuvempu University, Yashpal Ksheerasagar, Conservator of Forests of Chikkamagaluru, Pulkit Meena, DCF of Bhadra Tiger Reserve, and Vijay Kumara, Head of Department of Wildlife and Management of Kuvempu University were present in the inaugural session.

The university has invited many experts to deliver talk on mitigating the human-animal conflict. Over 50 researchers from different parts of the State and outside are participating in the seminar.