A Perspective on Twenty Years of Human-Leopard Conflict in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India with Sustainable Solutions for its Mitigation

Human-leopard conflict poses a significant challenge in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India, with 290 reported attacks between 2000 and 2020, averaging 13.81 incidents annually. The most affected age group were adults followed by children with a noticeable increase in incidents in winter. Key factors driving this conflict include habitat degradation, loss of prey, and human encroachment. Interestingly, the Gadoli and Manda Khal Fee Simple Estates, an area undergoing ecological restoration, by forest protection through foot patrols, fire watches and passive forest restoration (natural regeneration) within this conflict hotspot, reported no attacks during the same timeframe, highlighting the positive impact of habitat-focused interventions. In contrast, reactive measures such as lethal control lack precision, targeted protocols and long-term efficacy. This study emphasizes ecological restoration as a sustainable strategy for mitigating conflict and calls for improved monitoring of leopard populations, prey species, and habitat conditions. It also offers recommendations for effective conflict management in the region, stressing the advantages of restoration over reactive approaches.