KOLLAM: The human-wildlife conflict in Achankovil forest areas has increased by 100% in the last four decades, with an increase in the number of tribal settlements in the fringe areas being cited as the prime reason.
"Human population in the region has gone up from 1% to 100% in the last four decades. A few decades ago, Anchankovil had only a few tribal settlements, but now it has thousands of them. The increase in settlements leads to chances of frequent conflicts between human beings and animals," the official said.
The increase in human settlements has also depleted the natural habitat of animals.
"More and more human beings are occupying the fringe areas of the forest and converting the land into agriculture farms to cultivate cash crops. Once the herbivores start eating them, they often leave their habitat to consume the crops," said Kerala Forest Research Institute former research coordinator E A Jayson.
Jayson said a majority of people residing in the periphery of Achankovil region still rely on the forest to survive. Previously, they were accustomed to serving as the first line of defence against attacking animals. "The government must train these people to handle the confrontation with animals though it'll fix the issue only temporarily," he said.
Jayson said conservation of forest in Achankovil has failed to yield results when it comes to human-animal conflict.
"Our forest conservation involves planting many trees, but herbivorous animals require grassland and open space. In the name of forest conservation, we have destroyed the jungle's open spaces in three decades. When grassland and open space are encroached, herbivorous animals are forced to leave their habitat, which can lead eventually to human-animal conflict," Jayson added.