Monkeys and Wild Boars Top the List of Human‑Wildlife Clashes in Wayanad

When you think of wildlife trouble in Kerala, images of charging elephants or prowling tigers usually come to mind. Yet a recent three‑year investigation tells a different story. Researchers from Kannur University teamed up with the University of Geneva and spent three years talking to almost a thousand residents in 49 villages spread across Wayanad. The verdict? Monkeys and wild boars have become the most persistent sources of friction between people and the wild.

Out of the 998 people surveyed, a striking 84 % said they had personally faced some kind of wildlife encounter that turned sour. Even more telling, 81 % expressed a negative view of wildlife conservation, a sentiment that appears to be directly linked to the frequency of these unpleasant meetings.

The study, which landed in the peer‑reviewed journal Scientific Reports, identified eight species that regularly show up in conflict reports: monkeys, wild boars, elephants, tigers, leopards, gaurs, deer and peafowl. Monkeys topped the list, accounting for the highest share of reported incidents, with wild boars close behind. Roughly one‑third of respondents also mentioned peafowl, while 23 % flagged elephants and 17 % pointed to deer. Encounters with the big cats and gaurs were comparatively rare, each making up about 3‑4 % of the complaints.

"It isn’t just the species you run into that shapes how you feel about wildlife," explains Dr. Joseph J. Erinjeri, an assistant professor of zoology at Kannur University. "The number of different animals, how often they turn up, and the way they behave when they do – all of these factors colour people's perceptions."

Monkeys, notorious for raiding homes, stealing food and sometimes even attacking humans, have become a daily nuisance for many families. Wild boars, on the other hand, are known to trample crops, damage property and, on occasion, charge at people. Both species thrive in the fragmented forest‑agricultural landscape of Wayanad, where human settlements and wildlife habitats intersect more closely than ever before.

For the researchers, the findings underscore a need to rethink mitigation strategies. Traditional approaches that focus mainly on elephants or tigers may no longer address the ground‑level realities of most villagers. Community‑based measures—such as better waste management to deter monkeys, reinforced fencing to keep boars out, and targeted awareness campaigns—could prove more effective in easing tensions.

In the words of co‑author Lakshmi C. M., “If we want people to support conservation, we must first help them live safely alongside the species that actually affect their lives day‑to‑day.” The study’s hope is that a clearer picture of conflict hotspots will guide both policymakers and locals toward solutions that protect both livelihoods and wildlife.