A series of community-based initiatives in Assam’s Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary are yielding promising outcomes in diminishing human-animal conflict (HAC) while enhancing local backing for the conservation of the greater one-horned rhinoceros. Spanning 38.81 square kilometers with a core area of 16 square kilometers, Pobitora is home to 107 rhinos, making it the most densely populated habitat for this species globally, situated approximately 35 kilometers from Guwahati.
The Assam Forest Department has grappled with conservation efforts due to the sanctuary’s proximity to densely populated agrarian villages, where residents frequently experience crop damage and safety threats from wildlife, particularly Asiatic buffaloes and rhinos that venture into villages in search of food at night. Despite these challenges, the local agrarian community has largely supported conservation efforts. Conservation organization Aaranyak has partnered with the Forest Department to bolster this supportive stance and lessen conflict.
With assistance from the IUCN and collaboration with the Forest Department, Aaranyak initiated a comprehensive strategy last year aimed at reducing HAC and fostering coexistence. Ujjal Bayan, a researcher with Aaranyak’s Rhino Research and Conservation Division, alongside Deputy Director Dr. Deba Kumar Dutta and Executive Director Dr. Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, has been engaging closely with both forest officials and local inhabitants to create effective solutions.
One significant intervention involved the implementation of solar street lights in nine identified villages highly susceptible to HAC. Dr. Dutta noted that these villages experienced zero HAC incidents last year, as enhanced nighttime visibility helped avert encounters between villagers and wildlife. Following this success, 20 additional villages have sought similar installations.
Furthermore, to shield crops and guarantee farmer safety, Aaranyak has facilitated the establishment of four raised concrete watch platforms in Muroibari, Tamulidoba, Amaramul, and Goronga (Kamarpur). These platforms provide farmers with safer observation points to monitor their fields at night. In some instances, forest staff have utilized these platforms to oversee rhinos that venture beyond the sanctuary.
Additionally, Aaranyak has organized 15 community-based Anti-Depredation Squads (ADS) comprising around 120 volunteers from 28 villages prone to conflict. Each squad, consisting of eight to ten members, conducts night patrols, tracks wildlife movements, and alerts villagers about nearby animals. ADS members are equipped with torchlights, and extra lighting has been supplied for frontline forest staff. Pankaj Sharma, secretary of the Muroibari ADS, stated that members conduct night monitoring from raised platforms and patrol areas to inform residents of wildlife presence, maintaining close coordination with the Forest Department and Aaranyak staff.
Alongside these conflict-resolution efforts, Aaranyak has launched a pilot livelihood project for local women, focusing on cultivating cash crops, notably Bhoot Jolokia (ghost pepper). This initiative employs a low-cost, climate-resilient model aimed at safeguarding crops from erratic weather patterns, boosting household incomes, and decreasing economic insecurity within the community.
Collectively, these initiatives aspire to establish a sustainable framework for coexistence between humans and wildlife in one of India’s prime rhino habitats.
