Human-wildlife Conflicts
Concerns
A pertinent concern within the conservation community is the management of human and wildlife interactions, especially in areas where rampant land use and land cover changes are underway. As per the Annual Forest Report (2022) recent data on conflict within the state of Karnataka, Bannerghatta region of Karnataka is enlisted as the falls within one of the most conflict prone areas of the state. Bannerghatta National Park is situated at the northernmost tip of the Eastern Ghats in peninsular India. It is a highly fragmented and linear tract of forest contiguous to its south towards sparsely covered protected areas of North & South Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries networks belonging to the adjoining state of Tamil Nadu as well as other reserves in Karnataka.
The Asian Elephant
The Asian Elephant, our national heritage animal has been a symbol of conservation and community concern in this landscape since time immemorial. Despite the conservation concerns, such as habitat fragmentation and human-elephant conflicts, elephants seem to survivethrive in this region with adequate conservation interventions, but would require more support to safeguard the species in the long-term . reasonably well throughout the year.
Strategic research
A Rocha India has pioneered scientific research in the Bannerghatta-Hosur landscape using conservation and social science techniques to understand the landscape and its people better. Our contributions span from studying different taxas, local people groups and their dynamic interactions. One of the most pressing issues in our landscape is human wildlife conflict and we are able to make strategic mitigation recommendations based on our research. Studies on population demography, mitigation measures, education and awareness programs using robust science have yielded consensual participation from various stakeholders in addressing the cause. Some of our efforts in the past include testing of a chili-tobacco fence/barrier to prevent crop raiding in individual farm plots and the installation of bioacoustic systems to deter elephants from farmlands.
