DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand's recovering tiger and leopard populations, along with rapid infrastructure development and tourism expansion, could lead to more frequent and complex human-wildlife conflicts, according to a study analysing 2,046 conflict cases recorded between 2000 and 2019.
The study found that conflict risks were highest in areas where settlements, roads, farms and other human activities overlapped with forests, wildlife corridors and predator habitats.
The research is being conducted by doctoral scholar Amandeep Rathi under the guidance of former Uttarakhand Chief Wildlife Warden Rajiv Bhartari and wildlife scientist Dr Y.V. Jhala.
Rathi said Uttarakhand is witnessing the recovery of large carnivores alongside expanding infrastructure, industry and tourism, increasing the chances of encounters between people and wildlife.
The study recorded 1,914 leopard attacks, including 427 fatalities. Attacks were reported from all 13 districts. Pauri Garhwal accounted for 21.63% of the attacks and 28.64% of the deaths, followed by Almora and Tehri Garhwal.
During the same period, 132 tiger attacks were reported, including 46 fatalities —a fatality rate of 34.8%. Nainital recorded the highest number of tiger attacks, accounting for 65.15% of the incidents and 43.48% of the deaths.
The study found that leopards mostly attacked near villages, farms, roads and forest edges, while tiger attacks were concentrated in forests, protected areas and wildlife corridors.
Leopard attacks increased during the monsoon, while tiger attacks were more frequent in summer. Children were found to be more vulnerable to leopard attacks, while adults faced higher fatality rates in tiger encounters.
The study also found that attacks by both species increased during the two-decade period, with the rise in tiger attacks linked to the growth of Uttarakhand's tiger population.
Rathi said the study recommends stronger early-warning systems, trained rapid-response teams, safer livelihood practices, and faster compensation and grievance-redressal mechanisms to reduce conflict.
“During my tenure as Uttarakhand’s chief wildlife warden from 2019 to 2020, I played an active role in developing a strategy to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. We gathered comprehensive and precise data covering the two decades since the formation of Uttarakhand,” Rajiv Bhartari told this newspaper.
He said investment in research and data is essential for developing effective solutions to human-wildlife conflict.