Kerala’s Escalating Human-Wildlife Conflicts

Jul 11, 2022 | Aswin V.N.
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Incidents of human-wildlife conflict are on the rise in Kerala and it is back in focus with the killing of man by a wild elephant in Palakkad district.

Over 600 people have lost their lives in Kerala since 2015 in conflict with animals. A total of 814 livestock animals, including cattle, buffalo and goat, also have been reported to have been killed or suffered injuries in such attacks, and Tigers have preyed on 420 of these.

Forest covers nearly 30% of the State’s geographical area. For a relatively small State with an average width of just around 70 km and a population of more than 3.46 crore, this means numerous densely populated human settlements are located close to protected forest regions. Moreover, a large number of agricultural plantations too lie near wildlife habitats. 

Elephant-proof trenches and solar power fences are widely used in Kerala, and they are considered largely effective, provided they are properly maintained. However, there are several regions where these mechanisms have not been installed. Such measures need to be supplemented by creating early warning systems that can track the movement of elephants and other dangerous animals using drones and watchers, so that people can avoid going to locations where they have been spotted.