Circumstantial and Response Attitudes of People Affected With Livestock Depredation by Leopards Panthera pardus Linnaeus In Ratnagiri District, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Livestock depredation by carnivores has become an important hurdle in conservation of predators at the top of the food chain. To develop feasible recommendations to minimize this conflict, it is important to learn the circumstances of the predation events and attitudes ofpeople. We assessed the circumstances for livestock depredation by leopards in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra in India. Records of Maharashtra Forest Department list 621 compensation claims during April 2004 to June 2009. Interviews of 284 affected people were conducted to collect information on the time of attack, location and activity of livestock at the time of attack, people’s perception on the initiation and escalation of the depredation problem, compensation programmme and people’s solution to the problem. We found that a laid-back attitude while herding, grazing livestock in forest areas was responsible for most of the attacks. Similarly, the locals did not give enough importance to strengthening their livestock enclosures. People perceived that the problem of depredation had started and escalated in recent decades. Although most of them were not happy with the compensation scheme, owing to the meagre amount they got, several affected people showed a positive attitude towards the presence of leopards in their area. Similarly, a fairly good number of interviewed people had started adopting precautionary measures. We concluded that modifications in grazing practices and strengthening of enclosures were the important solutions to the problem of depredation and have suggested several possible approaches for people and the Forest Department.