Human-wildlife conflicts have been rising at an alarming fee in Kerala. In final two days alone, three individuals misplaced their lives in such assaults. Sustainable expertise interventions are required to handle this subject, in keeping with specialists.

The casualties of human-wildlife conflicts have gotten an everyday information within the State. Districts that share borders with forests reminiscent of Wayanad, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram, and Idukki are going through a whole lot of threats. These conflicts are on an rising development throughout the latest months, stated T.P. Sethumadhavan, Professor of the University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology, Bengaluru and former director, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU).

Not solely wild elephants however wild gaurs, leopards and tigers are additionally inflicting casualties and damaging properties. The rising inhabitants of monkeys, wild boars, and peacocks have additionally began affecting the prospects of farming.

“In the last decade, more than 133 human deaths were caused due to human-wildlife conflicts in Wayanad region alone. In 2023, 12 human lives were lost in Aralam area of Kannur due to wild elephant attacks. Climate change and lack of forest resources are further aggravating the situation. But the compensation packages given to the victims’ families are meagre in nature,” stated Dr. Sethumadhavan.

For controlling human-wildlife conflicts, we have to present community-based capability constructing programmes for individuals residing in forest fringes. They must also be given talent improvement programmes on addressing human-wildlife conflicts, he stated.

Also, there lies an enormous hole between accessible abilities and required abilities amongst Forests division employees, stated Dr. Sethumadhavan.

Technology may be successfully used to create early warning indicators that sends alerts in regards to the presence of untamed animals. Sensors, synthetic intelligence, machine studying, and automation may be successfully used to create early warning indicators to know when wild animals transfer out from forests, in keeping with specialists.

S. Gopakumar, head of the Department of Forest Resource Management, Kerala Agricultural University’s College of Forestry, have developed a system to alert individuals to wild elephant intrusion into their habitats.

“Loss of natural habitats and fragmentation bring wild animals closer to the human habitations, leading to frequent conflicts. The system, which uses artificial intelligence, can be used to prevent man-animal conflicts,” he stated.

“With slight modifications the system can be used to prevent attacks by wildlife as a whole, not just elephants,” he provides.

Research findings by International Elephant Foundation reveals that chilly farming and bee maintaining across the forest habitats will assist in stopping the assault of elephants. Appropriate sterilisation programmes are mandatory to regulate monkey inhabitants in Wayanad. Monkeys have began destroying agriculture produces, in keeping with specialists.

They additionally name for acceptable coverage choices on Centre-State joint ventures, compensation packages, and modification to conservation insurance policies.