In the last two decades, sinceUttarakhandbecame a new state, 1,054 people lost their lives and 5,112 suffered serious injuries in man-animal conflicts, revealed the information obtained under the Right To Information (RTI).
Each year, human animal conflict is rising in Uttarakhand. The information obtained from the chief minister’s office highlights a staggering toll on human lives due to encounters with wild animals. According to the data starting from 2000, the year Uttarakhand was formed, to 2022, a total of 1,054 people fell victim to wildlife attacks, while an additional 5,112 individuals were injured in such attacks. In 2023 so far (from January to April 21), six people lost their lives in man-animal conflicts, out of which four people were killed by tigers, one by an elephant and another by a leopard. Total of 23 people got injured in such wild attacks in this duration.
The figures reflect an alarming rise in fatalities caused by such incidents, with the past year proving to be particularly deadly. In 2022 alone, 82 lives were lost and 325 people sustained injuries in attacks by the wild animals.