Abstract
Against background of an increased occurrence of human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in the forest fringes of Nilambur forest divisions of Malappuram district, Kerala, a questionnaire survey was conducted from January to March 2016, to primarily analyze people’s perceptions on HWC and their attitude towards conservation. Three hundred households under 25 panchayats were surveyed in the district. The primary source of income was agriculture for about 61.67% of the families interviewed, and 50% of the respondents reported more than 40% of crop loss per annum to wildlife. The majority of the respondents put the onus of preventing crop depredations solely on the forest department. The overall conservation attitude of the people was negative due to the economic loss from crop depredations by wildlife. Proper and prompt implementation in the distribution of ex gratia payment is essential to help change the negative attitude of the people towards wildlife conservation. Awareness programmes should be conducted to increase local participation in the implementation of mitigation measures. The need for a “first-line defence†system to reduce crop damage from wildlife is also suggested.References
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