ASSESSMENT OF HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT IN RAJAMPARA FOREST FRINGES, WESTERN GHATS, KERALA, INDIA

Conflicts between humans and wildlife, including between humans over wildlife, have happened since the birth of humanity. However, in many locations, these conflicts have worsened during recent decades as a result of human population growth and the concomitant rise of agricultural and industrial activity. To examine the nature, causes, and mitigations of human-animal conflict, the coexistence between human and wildlife evaluation was undertaken. A variety of methods, such as household surveys, focus groups, one-on-one interviewing, field observations, and secondary sources, were used to gather the data. The type and intensity of human-wildlife conflict were dramatically impacted humans, wild animals, and the environment through crop damage, habitat disruption and destruction, livestock predation, and killing of wildlife and human. 12 crop varieties were identified in this region and Manihot esculenta has the highest density constituting 33% of the total composition of crops. The crop most affected by the attack of wild animals is also Manihot esculenta, Sus scrofa is the wild animal that attacks this crop the most, followed by Macaca radiata and Hystrix indica.