Anthropogenic Influence on Protected Areas: A Case Study of Achanakmar Tiger Reserve (ATR), Chhattisgarh, India

Abstract

India’s broad network of protected areas, which encompasses 4.93% of the country’s geographical area, is exposed to immense anthropogenic pressures that can create an imbalance and also hinder the prime objective of wildlife conservation and protection. The present study assesses some of these problems in relation to the Achanakmar Tiger Reserve (ATR). The main anthropogenic influence in ATR is the presence of eighteen core villages, five buffer villages, and 49 fringe villages in the periphery of the reserve area. The population density of the core zone was higher (16.0 people/km2) as compared to the buffer zone (7.41 people/km2). Another important disturbance in the protected area is state highway 8 which bisects the entire core zone into two halves. This highway also connects the neighboring state of Madhya Pradesh and there is the continuous movement of traffic, which hampers the smooth movement of wild animals. ATR also has a wide network of tourist roads of 192 km passing through the core zone. The average population density of livestock in ATR is relatively high compared to the average population of wild ungulates. It creates competition between wild ungulates for food, and they are also under constant threat of infectious diseases. The livestock depredation by apex predators is one of the major reasons for man-wildlife conflict in ATR. The cattle kill incidences by both the apex predator (tiger and leopard) was 378 during the period of three years (2015 to 2018) and these incidences were recorded more in the core zone as compared to the buffer zone. In the present study, anthropogenic effects on ATR have been studied and evaluated. It concludes that for effective management and conservation of tigers in ATR, these aspects need to be considered. To restore the tiger population in ATR, there must be a proper balance between human (anthropogenic) approaches and conservation benefits for the effective sustainability of the protected areas.