In the period spanning 2018 to 2022, the government informed the Rajya Sabha that 293 individuals lost their lives in tiger attacks, while 2,657 fatalities resulted from elephant attacks between 2018-19 and 2022-23. Union Minister of State for Environment Ashwini Kumar Choubey presented this data in a written response in the Upper House. Breaking down the statistics, Choubey revealed that in tiger attacks, 31 deaths occurred in 2018, 49 in 2019, 51 in 2020, 59 in 2021, and 103 in 2022. Meanwhile, human fatalities in elephant attacks numbered 457 in 2018-19, 586 in 2019-20, 464 in 2020-21, and 545 in 2021-22.
Choubey acknowledged that wild animal attacks were reported across the country due to various factors such as habitat degradation, depletion of natural prey, increased wildlife populations from conservation efforts, and changing crop patterns. To address human-animal conflicts, species-specific guidelines were released by the Environment Ministry in March 2023, covering conflicts with elephants, gaurs, leopards, snakes, crocodiles, rhesus macaques, wild pigs, bears, blue bulls, and blackbucks. Additional guidelines were issued for cross-cutting issues like occupational health and safety, crowd management in conflict situations, and health emergencies arising from human-wildlife conflicts.
The government provides financial assistance to state and union territory governments under centrally sponsored schemes, including Development of Wildlife Habitats, Project Tiger, and Project Elephant, to manage wildlife and habitat. Supported activities encompass the construction of physical barriers like barbed wire fences and solar-powered electric fences to prevent wild animal entry into crop fields.
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