The Human-Wildlife Conflict: Challenges and Solutions in Modern Safari Landscapes
As a tourist, a safari experience is on everyone's wish list. We all have seen pictures of people sitting in an open jeep and roaming around the vast jungles while the sun shines on them. You can even spot trumpeting elephants, roaring tigers, and deer drinking water by the lakeside in their photos and videos. This is a dream come true moment for all adventurous travelers. But, have you ever thought about the other side of the coin?
For those who live on the edges of these wild areas, this is their everyday reality. On most days this reality is filled with tension. Why? The simple answer is human-wildlife conflicts. These situations happen routinely, but they are becoming more pressing now.
Human-Wildlife Conflict
Often you will hear the news of animals killing people or crops being destroyed by the animals, right? On the flip side, there is also news of people killing animals to protect their lives and livelihood. This has been happening for ages now. But why has it become a sudden concern altogether? The simple answer is that the cases have increased and damages have become multifold.
Causes Of Human-Wildlife Conflict
So, what is the root cause of all these struggles between communities living on the edges of wild landscapes and animals? Let us find out now:
1. Habitat Loss and Fragmentation: According to the UN, the world’s population is three times more than what it was in the mid-20th century. It is estimated that it will reach 9.7 billion by the year 2050 and 10.4 billion by the year 2080. With such a rise, there is an increased need for land for infrastructure, agriculture, and settlements. This means people are clearing off animal’s natural habitats. This shrinking land has led to animals coming in close contact with humans.
2. Competition for Resources: Whether it is animals or humans, food and water are important for both if they want to survive. When drought strikes and water bodies dry, animals wander away from their habitat in search of food and water. Oftentimes, they come to villages and farmlands, attack crops, and use wells or nearby water bodies.
3. Illegal Human Activities: Even after so many laws and sanctions all around the world, there are still people who indulge in activities like hunting, poaching, and logging. When this happens in any particular area, this disturbs the animal's behavior and impacts their migration.
Impact Of Human-Wildlife Conflict
Human-wildlife conflict affects both sections. Here is how they impact communities living near national parks, reserves, and wildlife sanctuaries:
1. Financial Losses: For farmers and herders, their livelihood depends on crops and domestic animals solely. If wild animals enter their territory from the jungles, they can destroy crop production and kill these domestic animals for food. For a subsistence farmer, this basically means no food for tomorrow.
2. Threat To Safety: When people are aware that an animal has escaped from the jungle, they put restrictions on movement, especially at night. Children cannot go to school, people cannot walk alone, women cannot collect firewood, and villagers cannot go to work in their fields. All of this eventually leads to loss of education, finances, and food in the households.
3. Increased Stress: The constant fear of an animal wandering in the area can put an emotional toll on people. People are constantly under stress and anxiety as they don’t know what will happen next. There can be unexpected encounters with such animals at any time. This leads to living life in fear.
But, humans are not the only ones who have to face the dangers. Here is how this impacts animals:
1. Injury and Death: Often animals are injured or killed in road accidents when they are crossing the road. When animals attack humans and their properties, people often take retaliatory measures like hitting them with a stick, throwing stones, and in the worst cases shooting.
2. Population Decline: Many species are already endangered or on the verge of extinction. When these species are injured or killed, their population declines or gets eliminated. In such cases, the whole ecosystem suffers and the food chain gets disrupted.
3. Loss Of Habitat: As human encroachment increases, the wild area decreases. This leads to fewer areas for migration, breeding, and feeding.
Solutions in Modern Safari Landscapes
So far, we have discussed the issues related to human-wildlife conflict. However, what we need are strong and actionable strategies. Here are some of the solutions that hold promise:
1. Compensation and Insurance Schemes: To protect people from financial losses, governments can provide communities residing near forests and sanctuaries compensation schemes. Their insurance covers can also include damages done by wild animals to humans and properties.
2. Use of Technology: Farmers and herders can use detectors and sensors to detect the movement of animals in their areas. These technologies use solar-powered electric fences, automated water sprinklers, motion-activated lights and sounds, GPS tracking, and beehive fences.
3. Tourism Revenue Sharing: In conservation efforts, eco-tourism plays a really crucial role. The government should take the initiative to share a fraction of tourism revenue with local communities residing there. This way, the communities will take necessary steps for wildlife protection. They will see how protecting animals can bring revenue for them.
Conclusion
It is true that human-wildlife conflicts present challenges for both communities. However, we can see it as an opportunity to think about innovative solutions to protect both. Government, conservation organizations, and local communities should together take action responsibly. The future of our planet depends on how both communities co-exist.