While Karnataka is no stranger to man-animal conflicts, 2022 saw numerous instances of encounters between humans and wildlife, particularly involving elephants and leopards, which also resulted in a few deaths.
While there were several instances of elephant attacks on humans in Hassan, Kodagu, and Chikkamagaluru, some resulted in human deaths in these districts.
In Hassan alone, there were seven deaths owing to elephant attacks, with a majority of them reported at Sakleshpur taluk.
In the last 10 years, over 75 deaths have occurred due to elephant attacks in the district and locals have been demanding a permanent solution to end the man-animal conflict.
At Hullumane village in Mudigere taluk of Chikkamagaluru district, following the death of a 45-year-old woman due to an elephant attack, the locals were so enraged that the MLA of the constituency, M.P. Kumaraswamy, was allegedly attacked when he went to the village.
In order to address the jumbo menace, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai recently announced that the government will relocate 65 wild elephants from the Alur-Sakleshpur-Belur region in a phased manner.
Besides this, the government has also doubled the solatium for death caused by wild elephant attacks.
The Chief Minister, who also holds the Forest Ministry portfolio, also announced that compensation would be raised from ₹7.5 lakh to ₹15 lakh. Compensation for permanent disability and partial disability caused by jumbo attacks has also been raised to ₹10 lakh and ₹5 lakh, respectively. Likewise, for injuries also, there is a hike from ₹30,000 to ₹60,000.
Incidents of human-elephant conflict have been on the rise in parts of Hassan district. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In the ongoing man versus wild, the animals have also been at the receiving end. A few days ago, elephant Balarama, who carried the golden howdah during Mysuru Dasara on 13 occasions, was shot at by a farmer. However, the pellets only bruised the jumbo and it escaped with minor injuries.
A female elephant was also killed by a truck inside the Bandipur tiger reserve. Also, this year, Bhogeshwara, an elephant which was known for its long tusks and frequently sighted at the Kabini backwaters, died of natural causes.
There were also instances of leopard attacks on human beings this year, which occurred in the districts of Dharwad, Belagavi, and Tumakuru. The year also saw casualties owing to leopard attacks; two students were killed in separate incidents in Mysuru district.
Following a massive combing and tracking operations which went on for nearly seven weeks, a leopard, which is suspected to have killed the two students, was captured.
Similarly, a farmer was killed in a leopard attack in Chamarajanagar in September.
Leopard attacks and sightings were also reported in and around Bengaluru. In the last week of November, two leopards were on the prowl on the outskirts of the city: one in the vicinity of Banashankari 6th Stage that had also killed a spotted deer in the Turahalli State Forest Area and another was spotted near Chikkajala on the Kempegowda International Airport Road.
Sightings of these big cats evoked fear among the locals living in these areas for a few days, as they remained elusive to the traps set up by the Forest Department.
According to conservation biologist Sanjay Gubbi, leopards are naturally found in the U.M. Kaval, Roerich Estate, the T.K. Falls, Gollahalligudda, and adjoining areas as these forests are further connected to Bannerghatta National Park, and it is natural to find leopards in these areas.
Hesaraghatta grassland
The Hesaraghatta grassland was also in the news during the year as one section of people, comprising environmentalists and activists, wanted it to be declared as a conservation reserve, while other, like the local residents and cattle herders, opposed it.
In 2021, the Forest Department proposed before the State Board for Wildlife to declare 5,010 acres as grasslands as a conservation reserve which was rejected by the board.
It was alleged that an MLA from the ruling party had influenced the decision. However, in July this year, the High Court directed the State Board for Wildlife to reconsider the proposal to declare the grasslands as a conservation reserve.
Following this, there were volunteer meets and signature campaigns organised by activists and environmentalists who have been batting for the grasslands to be declared a reserve.
In November, Mr. Bommai, after chairing a meeting of the Karnataka State Wildlife Board, directed the Forest Department to conduct public consultation before declaring the grassland as a conservation reserve.
He had said the local population should be taken into confidence before any decision is arrived at and also asked the department to submit a report once the public consultation is over.
