Wild Tiger Health Project
Created by Dr John C M Lewis

Human-tiger conflict can have negative effects for both tiger populations and the communities which live nearby – effects which are often complex and far reaching. Careful management is needed to reduce the frequency and impact of these events and relieve tensions between local communities and conservation goals. HTC can have significant consequences for tigers which may not be restricted to the specific animal involved.

Potential impacts on individual tigers can include:

• Loss of life or injury due to retaliatory action by villagers. This may start a vicious cycle, as injured tigers may be more prone to future conflict if their injuries restrict their ability to hunt. The identity of a tiger thought to be involved in conflict behaviour can be mistaken, and tigers may be targeted indiscriminately.
• Government-sanctioned removal from the wild – either by lethal removal or bringing the tiger in to captivity. The negative welfare implications of attempting to safely capture, transport, house and manage a wild tiger in captivity should not be underestimated.
• Being driven out of an established territory which may be particularly significant if such territory contains important resources or habitat is scarce.
• Translocation to a novel area by local authorities, where a tiger may have to fight to establish and defend a new territory.

Potential consequences for a local tiger population can include:

• Loss of mature adults leading to instability in the local population structure, with the potential for further losses as new territories are established either through fighting or infanticide.
• In small, fragmented populations, the loss of sexually mature individuals may limit the availability of a mate and hinder reproduction. Younger, more inexperienced, mothers may be less successful breeders.
• In very small populations multiple losses could result in population collapse and local extinction.
• Communities which sustain significant livestock losses may turn to poaching of prey species to compensate. Increased poaching may in turn lead to a decrease in the available prey and an increased risk to tigers of accidental trapping and snare injury.
• Changing attitudes in communities and reduced tolerance of tiger presence could lead to reduced support for conservation practices, increased persecution and a greater tolerance of tiger poaching within the community resulting in increased poaching activity and decreased reporting.

Short-term Impacts on communities can include:

• The most obvious and significant loss from HTC is that of a life, but those that survive tiger attacks are also likely to be severely affected. HTC typically occurs in remote rural areas with limited access to advanced medical treatment. As a result, surgical treatment may favour amputation over complex limb salvage procedures and some degree of lifelong debilitation is common. Both injury and death may result in financial losses due to medical expenses and lost income. In the case of loss of life, this burden will fall on family members left behind and will be heaviest when the victim had dependents. Compensation schemes are in place in some countries but may be poorly administrated and payments inadequate or delayed. Compensation is often withheld from those injured or killed whilst foraging or fishing in protected areas illegally, so many families may not receive support. Loss of life will obviously result in a significant emotional loss for friends and family. In addition, anyone experiencing or witnessing an attack is likely to suffer some degree of psychological trauma, which in turn can result in further economic losses and social isolation (Chowdhury, Mondal et al. 2013). Physical or mental trauma may also result in a change in social standing, particularly for those who previously held prominent roles in the community. In some areas there may even be a direct social stigma associated with suffering an attack, as it may be interpreted as a sign the victim has angered gods. In some cultures, in the Sundarbans, widows of tiger victims are shunned (Chowdhury, Mondal et al. 2016).
• Loss of livestock or hunting dogs will cause an economic loss to the owner, the full scale of which may be difficult to quantify and adequately compensate. Where compensation schemes exist, payments may be delayed and many subsistence farmers will lack the financial reserves to bridge this gap. Owners may also feel disheartened and aggrieved that an animal they have invested in, and had such high hopes for, has been taken from them. This may be particularly pronounced in the case of prized breeding stock, highly trained hunting dogs or beloved companion animals.
• Fear can result from any form of HTC which may cause short-term changes in behaviours or farming practices as residents respond to the increased threat and attempt to reduce the risk of livestock predation and human attacks. This in turn may have economic consequences. Residents may feel scared or anxious and may even blame a particular family or farm for attracting the tiger creating social tension. Reporting such events will result in an increased presence of wildlife authorities within the village. This may be welcomed by some, but less so by others, who may feel they are under greater scrutiny.

Longer term impacts for communities can include:

• Permanent change in farming or foraging practices aimed at reducing the risk of conflict may be less efficient, less profitable or require additional investment or time all of which may result in economic hardship.
• People may move away from the area either voluntarily or through resettlement schemes. Voluntary moves may result in a shift in demographics for the community, as young people may be more inclined and more able to move away. Compulsory resettlement can result in economic and cultural displacement (Sahoo 2013).
• More stringent enforcement of regulations (particularly those relating to zoning and use of forest resources) may also create difficulties for a community. Any increase in ranger presence may engender feelings of being ‘controlled’ or ‘policed’. Villagers which have been operating illegally may suffer a loss of income and may be further penalised through increased prosecution and imposition of fines.
• All these potential impacts on communities may result in local or regional resentment and disengagement with conservation goals and practices.