Title
Assessing human–wildlife interactions in a forest settlement in Sathyamangalam and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves
Author(s)
Karanth, Krithi K. ;Ranganathan, Priya
Published
2018
Publisher
Tropical Conservation Science
Abstract
India, a megabiodiversity nation, is home to 4,800 species and 1.3 billion people. The proximity of people and wildlife
produces a wide variety of human–wildlife interactions particularly with forest-dwelling communities embedded deep within
protected areas (PAs). We evaluated people–park relationships through the 421 families in Thengumarahada located
between Sathyamangalam and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves in India. This settlement was originally granted land rights in
1948 but has been subleased many times over. We examined attitudes toward wildlife, PA, experiences of conflict, and
challenges faced by people. Logistic regression models evaluated the factors associated with household losses and their
attitudes. Thirty-four percent of households reported crop loss and 10% reported livestock predation. Crop loss was
associated with growing rice and bananas and negatively with forest cover. Depredation was primarily associated with
87% of households grazing livestock in the forest. Usage of mitigation measures was not significantly associated with reducing
conflict. Despite conflict losses and government pressure, only 34% of families expressed an interest in settling outside the
reserved forest. People’s motivations to remain in the forest hamlets included free resource availability (28%) and traditionfamiliar
livelihoods (29%). People’s mistrust of the forest department was heightened by the lack of awareness about (29%)
and payment of compensation (3%). Given the frequency of conflict, the lack of infrastructure, inadequate compensation
payments, and limited interest in relocation, balancing people–wildlife relationships in the forests of Sathyamangalam and
Mudumalai Tiger Reserves remains a formidable task.
Keywords
compensation;crop loss;India;livestock depredation;perception;wildlife
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