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Human Wildlife Conflict in Kerala: Spatial Patterns and Community Perceptions in Selected Forest Fringe Areas

Human Wildlife Conflict in Kerala: Spatial Patterns and Community Perceptions in Selected Forest Fringe Areas

A study found Wayanad district accounted for 17 of 42 recorded human deaths from human-wildlife conflict in Kerala between 2021 and 2025, with Asian elephants linked to 27 fatalities. Researchers from CHRIST (Deemed to be University) in Bengaluru mapped fatalities using newspaper archives and GIS tools and conducted structured interviews with 50 residents in Mulli, Sholayur and settlements near Chimmini Dam during the same period. The authors found avoidance of night-time outdoor movement (mean score 4.22) and worry for family safety (3.84) were common fear responses, while sleep disturbance scored 3.24. Educational impacts were limited among ten respondents with school-going children. Compensation awareness varied from 30.8% among those without formal schooling to 83.3% among graduates, and low awareness made up 42.1% of 76 cited insurance barriers. Forest Department incident response rated 4.38 versus 2.24 for government conflict-control measures. The researchers suggest regular upkeep of preventive infrastructure and clearer information on financial support schemes deserve attention.

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Arjun U. Nair, M Amalraj, S Sumith Satheendran and others carried out the study, titled “Human-Wildlife Conflict in Kerala: Spatial Patterns and Community Perceptions in Selected Forest-Fringe Areas”. Read the study.

The study was published in Asian Basic and Applied Research Journal on . See it in the journal.

A study found Wayanad district accounted for 17 of 42 recorded human deaths from human-wildlife conflict in Kerala between 2021 and 2025, with Asian elephants linked to 27 fatalities. Read the full study.

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Study: Human-Wildlife Conflict in Kerala: Spatial Patterns and Community Perceptions in Selected Forest-Fringe Areas by Arjun U. Nair, M Amalraj, S Sumith Satheendran et al. in Asian Basic and Applied Research Journal Read the original (opens in a new tab)

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