India's Wildlife Challange: Can India move from conflict to coexistence with wildlife?

Can we, humans, coexist with wildlife? At least in India, the answer may oscillate between ‘yay’ and ‘nay’.

Let’s analyse this. The number of human deaths caused by tiger attacks in India is 51 (2020), 59 (2021), 111 (2022), 86 (2023), and 74 (2024). Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of human losses over the last five years, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Similarly, an increasing number of human losses have been recorded due to elephant attacks in India. The loss of lives due to attacks by elephants in India is 595 (2020), 479 (2021), 561 (2022), 605 (2023) and 629 (2024), with the highest losses in Odisha, followed by Jharkhand and West Bengal. In a localised conflict, saltwater crocodiles killed 11 people in the last two years in the Kendrapara district, Odisha. Once rare, human-wildlife conflict has grown significantly in India.        

From conflict to coexistence, India has sought community support in its 71st edition of Wildlife Week (October 2-8) celebrations nationwide under the theme of ‘Human-Wildlife Coexistence’. From a tiger-focused conservation strategy in the early phase of India’s conservation story, which always got the lion’s share of the national wildlife conservation budget, to a critical and endangered species-focused conservation initiative under the present administration, it is obvious that the government has left no stone unturned to propagate a greener and sustainable India. Of 22 species identified for the species recovery programme in 2025, the Union government has provided financial assistance for nine species to states and Union territories. However, the competition for space, resources, and survival situates people and animals constantly at odds, leading to increasing negative encounters.  

Read the complete article here: AVILASH ROUL, "Can India move from conflict to coexistence with wildlife?" Down To Earth, October 17, 2025.