Man-animal conflict: Advisory issued for people living near forests

Srinagar, Aug 01: Wildlife Department has issued a fresh advisory for the people living closer to the forests in wake of the growing man-animal conflict.

The people have been asked not to chase or go near a wild animal sighted from a distance.

“Provide sufficient light around your utilities outside home so that animals do not feel safe in the vicinity,” reads the advisory.

“Children and women are vulnerable to leopard and bear attacks, which can be contained if they move in groups or children are accompanied by an elderly person.”

“Any type of bell or sound producing device be put around the neck of few cattle,” it reads.

The advisory has been issued in the backdrop of growing incidents of man-animal conflict in Kashmir. In the month of July, several incidents of man-animal conflicts have been reported from different parts of Kashmir.

On July 20, a teenager was attacked and injured by a bear in Marbal area of north Kashmir. The teenager was in his orchard when a bear attacked and injured him.

Similarly, on July 26, a bear also attacked people in a Tral village of Pulwama district. Several villages of Shopian district have been vulnerable to attacks from wild animals. They have appealed the government several times to ensure their safety.

Earlier, a villager of Awoora in Kupwara district killed a leopard to save his family after the wild animal entered his house early in the morning.

In the last three years, official figures reveal that over 55 people were killed and around 500 injured in man-animal conflict in the state.

An official of Wild Life Department said that they issued an advisory in view of increasing man-animal conflicts in Kashmir especially in the month of July.

“Leopards stray into residential areas usually in search of food. The human presence makes them insecure, following which they resort to attacking people,” the official said.

“Mass urbanization, denudation of forests, encroachment of forestland, vanishing of buffer zones in the forests are some of the reasons responsible for increasing conflicts between humans and animals,” he said.

He said if people adhere to the advisory, there would be a decrease in the number of man-animal conflict cases.

In the advisory, the Department has also asked people to avoid using of bush growths and forest fringe areas for nature calls in late evening or night hours.

“Provide sufficient light around your utilities outside your home so that animals do not feel safe in the vicinity. The villagers must regularly remove all bushes or shrubs from the vicinity of houses in a cooperative manner,” it adds.