Human–sloth bear conflict in a human-dominated landscape of northern Odisha, India Authors: Subrat Debata, Kedar Kumar Swain, Hemanta Kumar Sahu, and Himanshu Shekhar Palei Source: Ursus, 27(2) : 90-98 Published By: International Association for Bear Research and Management URL: https://doi.org/10.2192/URSUS-D-16-00007.1 BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Complete website, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/terms-of-use. Usage of BioOne Complete content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. Downloaded From: https://www.bioone.org/journals/Ursus on 1/2/2019 Terms of Use: https://www.bioone.org/terms-of-use Access provided by Norwegian University Library of Life Sciences Human–sloth bear conflict in a human-dominated landscape of northern Odisha, India Subrat Debata1 , Kedar Kumar Swain2 , Hemanta Kumar Sahu3 , and Himanshu Shekhar Palei3,4 1Department of Biodiversity and Conservation of Natural Resources, Central University of Orissa, Koraput-764020, Odisha, India 2Office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Prakruti Bhawan, Nilakantha Nagar, Bhubaneswar - 751012, Odisha, India 3P.G. Department of Zoology, North Orissa University, Mayurbhanj-757003, Odisha, India Abstract: Planning for human–carnivore coexistence requires detailed understanding of the ecological and sociological circumstances associated with conflict, particularly in multi-use, human-dominated landscapes. We investigated the influence of socio-ecological factors on human–sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) conflict in a human-dominated landscape of Balasore Wildlife Division, eastern India. We examined human–sloth bear conflict data from 12 years (2002–2013) and assessed the attitudes of the people toward sloth bears through semi-structured interviews with 350 people. We recorded 167 human–sloth bear conflict incidents, including 201 human casualties (4 deaths, 104 permanent injuries, and 93 minor injuries) and 7 retaliatory killings of sloth bears. More human–sloth bear conflict occurred during the monsoon season (Jul to Oct) than in other seasons. Monsoon is the peak growing season, when villagers spent more time outdoors farming, including near forest. In addition, lack of toilets in the villages may increase vulnerability of humans to sloth bear attacks. Most people considered sloth bears to be unpredictable and dangerous, which suggests protection and conservation activities may not retain public support. Approaches to mitigate human–sloth bear conflict should emphasize avoiding sloth bears when they are sighted and conducting activities near forests during the day and in groups when possible. Strategies such as improving sanitation facilities, developing effective compensation schemes, forming conflict management teams, and establishing sloth bear conservation awareness programs for villagers, as well as improving cooperation among various stakeholders, are necessary to foster human–sloth bear coexistence. Key words: attack, coexistence, compensation, human–wildlife conflicts, India, Melursus ursinus, sanitation program, sloth bear DOI: 10.2192/URSUS-D-16-00007.1 Ursus 27(2):90–98 (2016) Increasing human populations, improper land-use livelihoods and the survival of wildlife (WWF 2015). planning, and loss of natural habitat for wildlife are ma- Human–wildlife conflicts are particularly serious when jor issues greatly affecting human–wildlife coexistence they involve human casualties. Local communities gen- (Saberwal et al. 1994, Granados et al. 2012). The ever erally tolerate livestock or crop depredation but do not increasing competition for space, food, and other re- tolerate human casualties (Bhattarai and Fischer 2014), sources have led to human–wildlife conflicts, which can which result in negative attitudes and retaliatory persecu- include death and injury to humans, loss of crops and live- tion of wildlife and therefore hinder the success of species stock, property damage, and retaliatory killing of wildlife conservation programs around the world (Madden 2004, (Rajpurohit and Krausman 2000, Treves and Karanth Palei et al. 2014b). 2003, Ambarlı and Bilgin 2008, Bhattarai and Fischer India is one of the 18 mega-biodiversity countries in the 2014, Kabir et al. 2014, Ratnayeke et al. 2014, Singh world and is projected to be the most populous nation by et al. 2015). Human–wildlife conflicts have emerged as 2028, with approximately 1.45 billion people (Karanth a serious problem worldwide threatening both human and DeFries 2010). Large-scale land-use change is oc- curring as a result of mining and industrial develop- ment, which ultimately affects wildlife and their habi- 4email: [email protected] tats (Karanth and DeFries 2010). As a consequence of 90 Downloaded From: https://www.bioone.org/journals/Ursus on 1/2/2019 Terms of Use: https://www.bioone.org/terms-of-use Access provided by Norwegian University Library of Life Sciences r HUMAN–SLOTH BEAR CONFLICT IN INDIA Debata et al. 91 India’s increasing population and development, human– provide insights for other locations with similar conserva- wildlife conflicts are simultaneously increasing. Species tion challenges pertaining to coupled human and natural contributing to human–wildlife conflict in India include systems. In this context, our objectives were to investi- elephants (Elephas maximus), tigers (Panthera tigris), li- gate (1) the extent of conflicts between humans and sloth ons (Panthera leo), sloth bears (Melursus ursinus), leop- bears, (2) spatial and temporal patterns of conflict, and ards (Panthera pardus), and wild pigs (Sus scrofa), with (3) local people’s attitude toward sloth bears and their human–sloth bear conflict among the most important (Ra- conservation. jpurohit and Krausman 2000, DeFries et al. 2010, Can et al. 2014, Ratnayeke et al. 2014). The sloth bear is endemic to the Indian subcontinent Study area and has been reported throughout India, occupying di- We carried out the study in Balasore Wildlife Division verse habitats from wet or dry tropical forests to savan- (BWLD), a revenue district of Odisha state in eastern nas, shrublands, and grasslands (Garshelis et al. 1999, India (Fig. 1). It is located between 21◦03 to 21◦59N Yoganand et al. 2013). However, its historical range has latitude and 86◦20 to 87◦20E longitude and comprises been fragmented and decreased overall because of large- 3,634 km2 of the northern Odisha region. The landscape scale deforestation to facilitate human development. In is a mosaic of reserve forests, monoculture plantations, addition, diminished food resources, illegal killing for pastures, human habitations, and agricultural lands. In gall bladders, and taking of young sloth bears from the addition, most of the forest fringes are degraded by nu- wild for bear dancing resulted in severe population de- merous stone quarries. Elevation of the area ranges from clines and some local extirpations (Yoganand et al. 2006). 145 m to 682 m above sea level. Most of the lower Most of the current sloth bear range occurs in forests out- elevation areas contain villages and agricultural fields; side protected areas (Jhala et al. 2011, Sathyakumar et al. whereas, the upper elevation areas are composed of hills 2012), where people largely depend upon these forests for and forest interspersed with caves and boulder fields, domestic and subsistence resources such as fuel wood, which is suitable habitat for sloth bears. Vegetation of the fodder, thatch grass, building materials, medicinal plants, area includes northern semi-evergreen forest, peninsular wild fruits, and grazing land for livestock (Bargali et al. sal forest and moist mixed deciduous forests (Champion 2005). These situations may encourage competition for and Seth 1968), which comprise approximately 8.7% of resource use and increase the likelihood of human–sloth the total area of BWLD (Anonymous 2007). The 3 dis- bear encounters (Yoganand 2005), which can lead to con- tinct seasons are summer (Mar–Jun), monsoon (Jul–Oct), flict. As a result, sloth bears can elicit fear and anger in and winter (Nov–Feb), with mean temperatures ranging rural communities, often leading to killing of sloth bears from 10◦C during winter to 43◦C in summer and an- (Chauhan 2006). Studies on human–sloth bear conflicts nual precipitation of 1,583 mm. Balasore District is one have been carried out across the sloth bear range (Ra- of the most populated areas in Odisha, with a density jpurohit and Krausman 2000, Bargali et al. 2005, Rat- of 609 people/km2 living in 2,952 villages and raising nayeke et al. 2014, Garcia et al. 2016). However, most 1,296,617 livestock (District Annual Plan 2012). Most of these studies have largely focused on understanding villagers residing in forest fringes are tribal, belonging to the nature and frequency of human injuries and casual- the Santal,