All thre Kashmir regions faces escalating human-wildlife conflict,
driven by deforestation, rapid urbanization, and changing animal behavior that
forces wildlife like bears and leopards into human areas for food and shelter.
This has resulted in a significant increase in attacks on humans and livestock,
causing fatalities, injuries, and severe psychological trauma for communities.
Factors like habitat loss, human encroachment for agriculture and housing, and
wildlife venturing into human settlements for food, especially during harsh
winters, contribute to the rising number of dangerous encounters.
Causes of the Conflict
Habitat Loss and Fragmentation: Deforestation for development,
agriculture, and fuelwood has shrunk wildlife habitats, forcing animals into
closer proximity with humans.
Urbanization and Population Growth: Increasing human settlements and
population growth lead to more extensive encroachment on forests and wildlife
territories.
Food and Water Scarcity: During harsh winters, snow forces animals to
descend to lower altitudes in search of food, and in summers, they are
attracted to village orchards and crops for food and water.
Behavioral Changes in Wildlife: Animals are becoming accustomed to human
presence and food sources, leading them to venture into villages and even breed
near settlements.
Poor Waste Management: Inefficient waste management can draw wild
animals, such as bears, closer to human habitation in search of discarded food.
Consequences
Human Fatalities and Injuries: There has been an upward trend in human
deaths and injuries due to animal attacks, with hundreds killed and thousands
injured over the past decade.
Attacks on Livestock: Wild animals prey on livestock, causing
significant economic losses for rural communities.
Fear and Psychological Impact: Communities, especially those living near
conflict zones, experience persistent anxiety, fear, and mental health issues,
including PTSD.
Economic and Social Disruption: Fear of attacks makes people reluctant
to leave their homes, affecting daily life and community activities.
Wildlife
Involved
Leopards: These animals are frequently reported to roam villages,
sometimes targeting livestock and even children for food.
Asiatic Black Bears: Bears have also become increasingly aggressive and frequently
enter human areas, searching for fruit from orchards.
The increasing human-wildlife conflicts have troubled the villagers of
Kashmir.Our team on wildlife conflicts, while observing these wild areas, has
planted wild fruit trees around the areas where there are dense forests and
settlements as an effective strategy to deal with it, due to which wild animals
no longer come down to the settlements and attack the residents here and thus
the people in these areas have breathed a sigh of relief. In this regard,
Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre has prepared of plants of various
wild fruit plants including wild
apple, Bird
cherry,
Quince,
Pear,
Walnut &
Hazel trees and
we distribute these plants free of cost among the people living in the wild
areas and these plants act as a border line between wild animals and
settlements.
