Patterns, Drivers, and Socio-economic Impacts of Human–Wildlife Conflict in Reserved Forest Landscapes of Tiruchirappalli District, South India

Abstract

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is an effective menace to livelihood and wildlife conservation in the multiuse forest landscapes in India, particularly in the villages located near the reserved forests. This paper examines the trends, causes, and responses of the community towards HWC in peripheral villages around the Reserved Forests in Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu. To measure the levels of poaching, frequency of conflict, species with high conflict potential, seasonal variability, economic costs and mitigation measures, a set questionnaire survey was given to 474 participants of four forest ranges namely Manapparai, Thuraiyur, Thuvarankuruchi and Trichy. This low hunting and poaching frequency (2.3%) and the absence of any significant range dispersion (kh2 = 0.49, df = 3, p = 0.92) were proposed to be effective forest monitors. Conversely, property damage and crop raid were usual, and spotted deer (26), Indian gaur (29), and wild pigs (35) were reported to be the key conflict species. The Trichy and Manapparai ranges became the hot spots of the frequency of conflict, and this fluctuated considerably over ranges (kh2 = 78.7, df = 6, p < 0.001). Primary causes of conflicts were water scarcity and food availability in the forest-agriculture interface that reached the highest in the summer (38%) and post-monsoon seasons (30%). Most households indicated substantial impacts on the livelihood of the smallholder as evidenced by the fact that most households had annual economic losses that fell between 10,000 and 50,000. Electric fencing and noise-based deterrents were the most popular mitigation techniques but others would not be sustainable and safe. To promote the idea of long-term cohabitation between the rural communities, the results provide the need to bring together participatory HWC management approaches that will integrate habitat restoration, seasonal water provisioning, livelihood support, and community-based mitigation