Tackling India’s human- leopard conflict
Leopard in front of building. Pic courtesy Steve Winter
Vidya Athreya, senior scientist at the Wildlife Conservation Society, India and member of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group as well as the IUCN Task Force on Human – Wildlife Conflict will present the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society’s monthly lecture ‘ Living with Leopards’ on May 17 at the BMICH Lotus Hall at 6 p.m.
The lecture is open to both members and non-members, entrance free.
Vidya Athreya
Vidya has worked extensively in parts of India where human-leopard conflict levels have been high to try and change the situation so that both human and animal lives are safer.
Her presentation will cover the findings of her research carried out in landscapes in India where leopards share space with a high density of people. This will contrast between the rural settings as well as the urban setting of Mumbai, where she has been working. She will explain the reasons for the increased conflict, and how they dealt with it in India, and discuss possible ways ahead in resolving human- leopard conflicts fundamental to which is shifting the focus of action from targeting the animals to targeting people and their behaviour, so that conflict is minimised.