Mamatha MD and Hosetti BB. / Journal of Science / Vol 9 / Issue 2 / 2019 / 38-44. e ISSN 2277 - 3290 Print ISSN 2277 - 3282 Journal of Science Applied Zoology www.journalofscience.net Research article CROP DAMAGE CAUSED BY WILD BOAR IN VILLAGES OF RANEBENNUR, HAVERI DISTRICT, KARNATAKA STATE, INDIA M.D. Mamatha* and B.B. Hosetti 1Department of Post Graduate Studies and Research in Applied Zoology, Kuvempu University, Jnana Sahyadri, Shankaraghatta, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India. ABSTRACT Ranebennur Black buck Sanctuary is located in RanebennurTaluk of Haveri District, Karnataka. The sanctuary is declared vide Government of Karnataka Notification No.AFD-58-PWL -74 dated 17-6-1974 with an area of 119 Sq.km and is mainly concerned to the conservation of Black bucks and other fauna and flora. According for the present study the most of the crop damage is mainly by wild boar rather than black bucks. Day by day the conflict between wildlife and human is extending owing to increasing human population, loss of natural habitats for wildlife and gradual increasing in their population, due to successful conservation efforts of Indian government after the implication of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Wild boar (Susscrofa) is opportunistic omnivores. However, their diet varies according to field conditions and availability of the different items. Crop raiding is a major form of human wildlife conflict that not only affects livelihoods of farmers living close to the forest area. In recent years, wild boar (Susscrofa) causing enormous loss to the agricultural crops at various stages, that is mainly due to absence of predators and the increase of population and non availability of preferred dietary items. The people surrounding the sanctuary are below the poverty line and they prefer small scale crop like maize and it is the attractive crop found in that time. So wild boar caused extensive damage mainly to maize crop in Hullathi, Huniskatti, Alalgeri and Hanumapura sections of Ranebennur wildlife sanctuary. We evaluated the economic loss to the local villagers due to such human wildlife conflicts; survey and interviewed data was collected from villagers surrounding the sanctuary area and also necessary data also collected from the records of the forest department and ocular estimation of crop damage in all the forty villages of four sections and today these problems have aggravated beyond tolerable limits and resulted into direct conflict between people and wild pigs. This has also adversely affected the conservation ideals. The maximum affected section was Huniskattiand minimum affected was Hanumapura. In Hullathi section (n=303) farmers are affected, (n=370) farmers are effected in Huniskatti, (n=27) farmers affected in Hanumapura section, and (n=329) farmers affected in Alalgeri section respectively. Compensation given by the forest department, and detailed study beyond crop raiding and how to overcome from crop raiding was discussed. To minimize the conflicts between farmers and the management of protected areas, it is suggested that the inexpensive, volunteer-based population control program could be enhanced by incorporating stalking and mobile electric fences and changing of crop alternatively. This paper discuss the interactions between the wild boar and crops damages, compensation, preventing methods employed, actions which should be taken by the forest department to minimize the human-animal conflicts in the area. Keywords: Wild boar, Crop damage, Ranebennur blackbuck sanctuary, Agriculture, villages, Wild-human conflict. Access this article online Corresponding Author Home page: Quick Response code M.D. Mamatha http://journalofscience.net// Department of Post Graduate Studies and Research in Applied Zoology, Kuvempu University, JnanaSahyadri, Shankaraghatta, DOI: Shivamogga, Karnataka. http://dx.doi.org/10.21276/jos.2019.9.2.1 Email:- [email protected] Received:25.02.19 Revised:01.03.19 Accepted:08.03.19 Access this article online Page | 38 Mamatha MD and Hosetti BB. / Journal of Science / Vol 9 / Issue 2 / 2019 / 38-44. INTRODUCTION [17-19]. These confrontations are always detrimental for The wild boar (Susscrofa) is one of the most the wellbeing of the animals in the area on long run. widely distributed large mammals in the area and also Wild boar damages agricultural crops and distributed in large numbers in North Africa, Europe and grassland by rooting out or by directly feeding on crops, Asia [1]. Wild boar locally known as Kaduhandi. Wild such as maize [20-23]. It has always been associated itself boars are found in good numbers in the Ranebennur with man and successfully utilizes the human altered Wildlife Sanctuary, and are habituated to crop raiding due landscapes [24-25]. However, there is little or no to their acute sense of smell and nocturnal feeding habit. scientific evidence of the effectiveness of these The wild boar has an elongated face with an techniques, even though wildlife-caused damages can abruptly truncated mobile snout that ends in a flat disk cause significant economic harm, lead to farm failures, containing the nostrils. The head is very strong and used and the emigration of farmers [26]. for fighting, digging and bulldozing vegetation. Wild The high damage to maize may be due to it being boars are omnivorous, living on crops, roots, tubers and the only attractive crop in the area at the time. Maize is carrion [2]. They feed in the early morning and late rich in carbohydrates, while being very low in fat, Wild evening or at night. They are more destructive to crops boar are monogastric hence require high energy food. than any other animals. Wild boars live in groups of 6-23 Damages to crops have led to the development of animals. different avoidance techniques (culling, supplemental The wild boar is relatively large mammal that feeding, and electrical fencing) and some evaluations of has one of the broadest geographic distributions [3]. The these techniques [27]. species can occupy a wide range of habitats, including Mature crops were highly susceptible to damage semi deserts, wetlands, high mountain environments, and by pigs. Damage to crops was reported to increase when forest ecosystems [4]. there was less natural food available in forest, and artificial feeding of wild pigs could reduce crop damage Scientific Classification [28]. Kingdom Animalia There is no report or survey of the problem in Phylum Chordata this area. Hence hitherto study was conducted to prepare a Class Mammalia list damaged crops of all surrounding villages around the Order Artiodactyla Ranebennur blackbuck sanctuary and to evaluate Family Suidae mitigation measures. Subfamily Suinae Genus Sus MATERIALS AND METHODS Species Susscrofa Study area Ranebennur blackbuck sanctuary is situated Wild boar is a major problematic species in the towards north –east of Pune Bangalore National Highway agricultural crops in many parts of India. Conflicts No 4 at Ranebennur north east of Ranebennur. It is between wildlife and human interests are a matter of situated between 14°-34-00’’ to 14°- 0-46 -00’’ Latitude concern worldwide [5] as wildlife populations expand north between 75°-30-08’’ to75°-47-21’’ Longitude east. into anthropic environments with increasing human The topography of the Study area ranging from 531M to populations. Human wildlife conflict is a continuous issue 762M above MSL and Temperature varies from 25°C IN and crop damage by wild boar is one of the major Winter and, 40°C in the summer. March-April are the problems in surrounding villages of Ranebennur hottest months. Average rainfall is 600-620mm. The soil blackbuck sanctuary with increasing population and structure is ''Gneisses'' Shisty and Granite of Archean area pressure on forest areas, human –wildlife interaction and and Deccan trap rocks of tertiary era (Jagadish Chandra resultant conflict is also increasing [6]. 1974). Since the area coming under Tungabhadra River There is paucity of information on ecology and Valley Project. The area of the Sanctuary is 119Sq.Kms. conflict aspects of wild pigs from Indian sub-continent. It spreads over in four sections, Hullathi, Huniskatti, The available information is of general nature and Hanumapura, Alalgere. fragmentary [7-16]. In the western ghats of Maharashtra Hullathi section: The topography ranging from state, man and wild pigs interaction has been briefly 488.62m-488.27m .It is situated between Longitude E- studied by Ahmad (1991). 075⁰ 39’ 58.24’’ and N-14⁰ 38’ 58.05’’. Latitude E-075⁰ Fragmentation of forests, expansion of 39' 58.24'' and N-14⁰ 38'58.05''. 14.87 Sq.km in hullathi agricultural fields and human settlement not only section considered as a ‘CORE AREA’ ON 21-10-1982. destroyed the habitat of wild animals but also exposed Huniskatti section: The topography ranging from 596 m. animals to people which ultimately lead to confrontation It is situated between N14°37'17.91'' E-75° 41' 19.60'' Longitude. Latitude N-14° 37' 36.03'' and E-75° 40' 52.01'' Page | 39 Mamatha MD and Hosetti BB. / Journal of Science / Vol 9 / Issue 2 / 2019 / 38-44. Hanumapura section: The topography ranging sanctuary. In order to gather data on crop depredation by from 595.35 m-609.87 m. It is situated between wild boar interviewed the villagers to collect information Longitude N-14° 44' 05.54'' and E-75° 3' 16.54''. Latitude pertaining to the amount of agricultural land owned or N-14° 45' 06.73'' and E-75° 3449.54'' tilled by a family. Their estimated crop production and Alalgere section: The topography ranging from 617.19 m- their estimated annual crop losses to wild boar 659.31m.Longitude N-14°44' 41.41'' and Latitude N- depredation and also got the details of compensation 14°44 22.22’’ and E-75° 31 35.33'' received for crop loss. Although interviewers could not recall the exact time, date, they reported the general time Sampling methods (e.g. Wet/Dry season) and wild boar crop raided at night 1.