Living near the borders of forest areas is increasingly becoming more dangerous than ever before. There has been a 160% increase in compensation claims for loss of lives and crop damage due to wild animals that strayed into the buffer zones of the forest areas in the state in the past five years.

This huge rise number of claims, which touched 7,416 last year, shows the increase in the number of man- animal conflicts, especially around Wayanad, Idukki and Kottayam forest divisions.

Wildlife experts said that following the destruction of wildlife corridors, encroachment of forest land and scarcity during summers, animals were forced to come out of the core forest areas in search of food................Read more

Source web page: Times of India