Jaldapara Forest Division launches campaign to address rising human-wildlife conflict

Alipurduar: The incidence of leopard and elephant attacks in North Bengal’s tea gardens and nearby areas is on the rise, raising concerns among residents and forest officials. In response, the Jaldapara Forest Division has initiated innovative measures to address the growing human-wildlife conflict.

According to forest officials, the presence of leopards and wild elephants has significantly increased in approximately 53 villages and 12 tea gardens bordering the Jaldapara Forest. This has led to repeated loss of human lives, damage to property and destruction of crops. The escalating tensions have fueled public dissatisfaction with the forest department, while instances of wildlife fatalities caused by human actions have also been reported.

To mitigate these challenges, the Forest department has launched a comprehensive awareness campaign targeting tea garden workers and communities residing near forested areas. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Parveen Kaswan stated: “As part of the campaign, we are conducting detailed discussions with tea garden workers, forest dwellers and students. These sessions include showing documentaries and fostering dialogue to prepare people for emergency situations. Our aim is to empower the community to take immediate precautions and alert the forest department promptly. We plan to continue these efforts year-round and are optimistic about reducing human-wildlife conflict.”

As part of the campaign, forest officials are building relationships with students from schools near Jaldapara forest and conducting training programmes for local residents. These sessions teach communities to report wildlife sightings promptly and discourage risky behaviors, such as chasing animals, a practice that often results in injuries or fatalities.

The department is addressing practical concerns as well, including the installation of adequate lighting in vulnerable areas to deter wildlife at night. Another focus is discouraging the storage of homemade liquor in tea garden workers’ homes, as wild elephants are often drawn to these items, leading to house break-ins and property damage.