In 5 Bihar Villages, Special Zone Aimed At Reducing Human-Animal Conflicts
According to officials, the state government would partner with the Wildlife Trust of India, a Nepalese organisation, and a UK-based zoo to create a model human-carnivore coexistence zone out of five villages in Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve. According to them, the project’s goal is to put a stop to the conflict between humans and carnivores in the Valmiki-Chitwan-Parsa transboundary region.
According to P K Gupta, Bihar’s Chief Wildlife Warden, the WTI, National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC-Nepal), and Chester Zoo (UK) jointly applied for the project and requested a letter of support from the Department of the Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. “The department has given its go-ahead for the initiative,” he told PTI.
“The Chester Zoo has been actively working on human-wildlife conflict worldwide for the last several years, including in Terai in Nepal, where human-tiger conflict is a matter of concern,” Mr Gupta said.
Human-wildlife conflict is among the most severe threats to many species around the world, he said.
“The project will focus on community engagement, develop methods to reduce livestock depredation and alter village practices and behavioral issues,” Mr Gupta said.
A man-eating tiger that had killed nine people and numerous domestic animals was shot to death in October of this year, which put the Valmiki Tiger Reserve in the news recently.
According to official data, the number of tigers in the state increased from 32 to about 50 between 2014 and 2018.
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