Here is a clear and concise summary of wildlife–human conflict in India:

Summary: Wild Animals–Humans Conflict in India

Wildlife–human conflict in India has been rising due to shrinking forests, expanding human settlements, and climate-related stress. As animals lose habitat and food sources, they increasingly enter farms, villages, and towns, leading to attacks, crop damage, and loss of property.

Major Drivers

• Habitat loss & fragmentation: Rapid urbanization, road projects, mining, and agriculture reduce continuous forest cover.
• Climate change: Droughts and heat stress push animals like elephants, tigers, and leopards closer to human areas in search of water and food.
• Expanding agriculture: Cash crops near forests attract elephants, wild boars, monkeys, and deer.
• Decline in prey base: Predators venture into human spaces when natural prey becomes scarce.

Key Conflict Species

• Elephants: Crop raiding, property damage, and accidental deaths due to rail/road collisions.
• Tigers & Leopards: Attacks on livestock and occasional human fatalities near forest edges.
• Wild Boars & Deer: Major agricultural crop loss in many states.
• Monkeys: Damage in urban and hill regions, especially in North India.

Hotspot States

Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Odisha, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal experience the highest conflict incidents.

Impact

• Loss of human lives and livestock
• Large economic losses for farmers
• Death or injury of wild animals through retaliation, accidents, or electrocution
• Increased pressure on conservation efforts

Government & Community Measures

• Solar fencing, bio-fencing, and early-warning systems
• Elephant corridors and underpasses/overpasses on highways
• Compensation schemes for crop and livestock loss
• Relocation of villages from core forest areas
• Awareness programs and community-based conservation