Understanding human-wildlife conflict in Nepal and its mitigating measures

Abstract

Abstract Human-wildlife conflict has emerged as a nexus of diverse factors. Although the conservation plans have successfully increased the density of wildlife, such as tigers and rhinos in Nepal, the human-wildlife conflict remained inevitable. This article reviews several articles based on the status and patterns of human-wildlife conflict in Nepal and its mitigating measures. The human population is steadily increasing, as is the desire for infrastructure, resulting in the deterioration and loss of wildlife habitats such as forests. These processes have increased wildlife competition for food and territory, shifting their habitats towards the farmlands and human settlements. Likewise, climate change has increased wildlife’s environmental, physiological, and hormonal stress, causing them to become more aggressive and threatening human-wildlife harmony. In this scenario, the actions on biodiversity conservation would reach the climax only if the necessary approaches are sought to manage the conflicts. An appropriate relocation approach with post-monitoring and health surveillance in wildlife-friendly landscapes could control human-wildlife conflicts with the support of the local communities and relevant governmental and non-governmental authorities. Likewise, transboundary coordination with neighboring countries, cooperation among all related stakeholders, and transparent science-based conservation management can help reduce human-wildlife conflict.