What Does Human-Wildlife Conflict Look Like?
Wild bull elephant at the breeding center in Chitwan; source: Danielle Carnahan
Oftentimes when we hear the words “human-wildlife conflict” we think of some intense battle between a human and a vicious animal being fought in a jungle somewhere… an almost fictional scene pops into the mind. Unfortunately, human-wildlife conflict is all around us— regardless of what country we reside in, and oftentimes it doesn’t look or feel intense.
Although it can be more obvious in countries that have more dangerous wildlife and especially in towns that border natural landscapes where more wildlife are living, there are wild animals living all around us, even in the largest cities.
The truth is, human-wildlife conflict is increasing rapidly in our growing world. With increases in the human population, more development, and faster rates of deforestation, wildlife have nowhere to go. We are running other species out of their natural landscapes in order to put up developments, then wonder why there are animals around the homes and buildings that have been built. Whether it’s mice, deer, elephants, or lions… when we destroy their homes, we are bound to run into them.
How to deal with human-wildlife conflict
This issue is so complex because there are varying opinions everywhere we turn. Some want to kill animals that attack or intrude on humans too often, others say it’s wrong to kill these animals and therefore humans need to just deal with the fact that they live close to animals. And while both of these options may be right in certain situations, there is no one-size-fits-all answer.
Sadly, we often make humans out to be cruel in situations where an animal is retaliated against; but, how are you going to tell someone in India living near a national park who loses friends and family yearly to tiger attacks that they should not kill an endangered species to save the lives of their family? Obviously this is an extreme example (although it is not an uncommon dilemma), but it drives home the point that even if you would never want to hurt an animal, who knows what decision you would make in that situation.
Even if you’re not faced with tigers or lions, the same goes for dealing with rodents or other species that can commonly spread disease, animals that destroy farm land, wildlife that kill people’s pets… human-wildlife conflict is everywhere and it always looks a bit different. The mentality of needing to blame either the humans for living close to wild animals or the animals for coming too close to people is fueling the battle between humans and non-human animals and it is not a productive solution.
What are Some examples of human-wildlife conflict?
Since arriving in Nepal I’ve seen a few examples of human-wildlife conflict that others may not even know is conflict… Simply because, when living so close to a national park, animals are bound to wander into towns, backyards, and even people’s homes.
Example #1: Rhino
One of the first few nights I was in Nepal, there was a rhino wandering down the street. A few people were trying to get the rhino to turn back towards the town so that it would walk down the main street. After a few minutes of trying, the rhino turned towards town and was walking around the streets for who knows how long.
Male rhino walking down the street in Sauraha; source: Danielle Carnahan
Male rhino walking down the street in Sauraha; source: Danielle Carnahan
Some may look at this and wonder where the conflict lies because nobody got hurt; but keep in mind that conflict does not need to mean imminent danger. Rather, it can just look like humans and a wild animal having a confrontation often due to animals coming out of their wild places and into human settlement.
Example #2: Elephant
When visiting the government breeding center (which I explained a bit in last weeks post) I was lucky enough to see a wild bull elephant! However, while I was there the bull was trying to mate with the females, and eat the food that the mahouts had arranged for the captive elephants. Because of this, the mahouts started throwing rocks at the face of the wild bull elephant… not that a few rocks to the head were going to stop him.
Wild bull mounting captive female at breeding center in Chitwan; source: Danielle Carnahan
However, this conflict occurred because the breeding center is located within the national park, without any fencing separating the jungle from the chained captive elephants. Because of this, the wild elephants are able to often wander over there which poses a threat to the captive elephants and all of the people who are at the breeding center.
Unfortunately, many of the visitors at the breeding center did not see this as conflict but rather entertainment, something exciting! When wildlife encounters are viewed through this lens, it can be difficult to call them what they are… human-wildlife conflict.
Where do we go from here?
The most important thing to remember when it comes to human-wildlife conflict is that it will always be present in our world. Not only because there are so many species on our planet, but because we’ve created the kind of world where animals are running out of space while humans continue to spread out and claim land as our own.
My hope is two-fold…
First, if you’re living in a country where dangerous wildlife in or near your home is not a threat, I hope you’ll be patient with the animals you do encounter in your life. Whether it be rodents, insects, reptiles, whatever! Rather than seeing them as vermin or an inconvenience, remember that you’ve claimed their home as your own; therefore, there’s going to be some overlap.
If you are living in a region with more dangerous wildlife, you probably know how to stay safe and dodge wildlife better than I do!! What I do know is that, while not all human-wildlife conflict can be avoided, injuries and fatalities can be lowered by respecting wildlife and giving them ample space to do their thing.
It’ll take some adjusting on the human side of things if we want to coexist more peacefully, but I’m hopeful.