Man-Animal Conflict
Understanding Depredation Causes
The major cause of depredation in the State is attributed to a higher population of elephants and inadequate and fragmented habitats. Their food and water requirements being very high, elephants traverse extensively through fragmented forests—often through human habitations and cultivations—to fulfill their needs. This invariably results in man-animal conflict.
The Department carries out active protection measures and promotes eco-friendly activities to reduce such conflict and ameliorate the suffering of people living in and around elephant habitats.
Anti-Depredation Measures
Active strategic deployments and local interventions carried out by the wildlife wing to safeguard both human lives and animal safety.
Scaring Operations
Deploying specialized scaring teams using mild acoustics and humane methods to redirect herds back to deep core reserves when they approach crop fields.
Protection Squads
Mobilizing voluntary local protection squads in critical districts to monitor paths, sound early warnings, and coordinate fast response operations.
Sausage Barriers
Constructing biological and physical boundaries (such as dry stone sausage barriers) at corridor bottlenecks to deter crossings into cultivations.
Agricultural Reform
Encouraging community farmers to transition towards alternative crop cultivation that does not constantly attract migrating herds.
Details on Depredation Cases
Historical annual log records of crop damage, casualties, and livestock conflicts reported across districts in Meghalaya.
| Year | Crop Damages | No. of human death | No. of human injury | Livestock killed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of cases | Area involved (in Ha) | ||||
| 2013 | 2019 | 853.530 | 5 | 3 | 17 |
| 2014 | 1921 | 596.080 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| 2015 | 2559 | 1495.624 | 5 | 6 | - |
| 2016 | 1554 | 512.480 | 6 | 5 | - |
| 2017 | 1328 | 450.506 | 6 | 3 | - |
Ex-Gratia Paid under CSS & State Funds
Biannual financial allocations and relief payments distributed under Central Sector Schemes (CSS) and State funds to support affected families.
| Source of Fund | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSS-Project Elephant | 53,05,000 | 15,00,000 | 30,52,000 | 30,00,000 | 41,00,000 |
| CSS-Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat | 2,00,000 | 5,50,000 | 10,00,000 | 10,00,000 | 9,00,000 |
| Establishment Expenditure | 15,00,000 | 12,56,000 | 12,61,000 | 11,85,000 | 14,95,000 |
| CAMPA | - | 2,20,00,000 | - | - | 15,00,000 |
| Total | 70,05,000 | 2,53,06,000 | 53,13,000 | 51,85,000 | 79,95,000 |
Field Monitoring & Coexistence Operations
Documenting wild elephant paths and community relief mitigation projects inside remote forest corridors.
Fragmented Corridor Boundaries
Elephant herds feeding close to bordering villages. Careful forestry squad monitoring guides them safely back without incident.
Forest Buffer Zones & Crop Fields
Lush community paddy fields directly bordering elephant sanctuaries require protective boundary fences to ensure agricultural peace.