U'khand: Over 900 lives lost in human-wildlife conflict since 2000

Dehradun, Dec 5 (PTI) Attacks by tigers, leopards, bears and other animals has claimed more than 900 lives in Uttarakhand in the last 25 years, highlighting alarming levels of human-wildlife conflict in the hilly state, according to government data.

The latest such incident occurred on Thursday a 45-year-old man was killed in a leopard attack in Gajald village in Pauri -- a district that has seen the highest animal attack cases, prompting its administration to take several measures.

According to government data, human-wildlife conflict has claimed over 900 lives in Uttarakhand over the past 25 years with leopard attacks claiming 548 lives, elephant attacks 230 lives, tiger attacks 106 and bear attacks 70.

Snakebites claimed 260 lives in the state during this period, the data showed.

Meanwhile, 2,127 people were injured in attacks by leopards, 2,013 injured in bear attacks, 234 in elephant attacks and 1,056 were injured due to snake bites, it stated.

According to experts, leopard attacks are seen in almost every part of the state throughout the year, with bear attacks peaking between October and December.

The Uttarakhand government has announced that the state will bear the entire cost of treatment for the injured and will provide a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of those killed in the attacks.

On Thursday, Rajendra Nautiyal (45) was killed in a leopard attack in Gajald village of Pauri district, prompting the administration to order the shooting of the animal and declare a two-day holiday for schools in the area, officials said.

The incident sparked panic in the area, and residents took to the streets in outrage. Villagers protested against the local MLA and forest department personnel.

Seeing the growing resistance among the villagers, the district magistrate has immediately ordered the installation of a cage in the village. Schools and Anganwadi centers have been temporarily closed as a precautionary measure.

According to the district magistrate, two shooters have been deployed at the scene and have been given permission to kill the leopard.

The villagers have alleged that the department attempts to hush up the situation with formal action, while the leopard menace continues to grow in the area. Instead of relief, villagers are experiencing growing anxiety.

Accusing the state government of not giving a concrete and permanent policy to prevent human-wildlife conflict, they said that this lack of a solution is leading to a steady increase in casualties in hilly villages.

Schoolchildren also expressed their anguish and said that due to the school being far from the village, they are forced to stay at home due to fear of leopards.

Uttarakhand Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) Ranjan Kumar Mishra acknowledged that Pauri is a district with the highest human-wildlife conflict in Uttarakhand -- especially in terms of bear and leopard attacks.

He appealed to people not to throw green waste, rotten fruits, or food waste in the open in the villages.

Mishra added that several bears were recently seen on garbage dumps in Joshimath, and such conditions affect animal behavior and make them aggressive.

The Forest Department has initiated the installation of solar and fox lights at several locations.

Meanwhile, the Congress has accused the BJP-led Uttarakhand government of negligence regarding wildlife attacks.

State Congress President Ganesh Godiyal alleges, "The government has neither the will nor a concrete plan. We made several suggestions, but none of them were implemented." Amid a spike in cases, villagers and social welfare organisations have urged the government to quickly implement effective policies and implement permanent solutions.

They say that this crisis will not end until a balance is struck between wildlife behavior, their habitats, and human settlements. PTI NB NB