Maharashtra: 371 fatal animal attacks since 2010, count on rise

Since 2010, the maximum number of deaths, 107, have resulted from leopard attacks. The highest, 17 deaths, were reported in 2013.

This is followed by tigers attacks, in which 97 people have been killed in the last eight years. As many as 27 died in 2017. The figure being 16 in 2016 and 15 in 2018 shows that the graph has been steadily going up since 2010, when only five deaths were reported from tiger attacks. The only dip in the rising graph was six deaths in 2015.

Unlike this, fatalities caused by leopards have generally been in double digits except for 2010 (eight deaths) and 2014 (nine deaths). The third biggest human killer is the wild boar, which has killed 81 people since 2010, with the pick of 17 in 2016. Sloth bear and bison attacks have caused 29 and 22 deaths, respectively.

Among other animals, wolves have caused eight, crocodiles seven, elephants six, hyana three and foxes two deaths. Unidentified animals have killed four persons. Data from NGO Tiger Research and Conservation Trust, which had worked in TATR landscape to mitigate man-big cat conflict for many years, reveals that the conflict had started assuming serious proportions in Vidarbha since 2005. The data states that from 2005 to 2010, numbers of persons injured and killed in leopard attacks in Vidarbha were 23 and 6, respectively. Comparable numbers for tigers in the same period were 36 (injuries) and 63 (deaths).

The NGO’s figures for injuries in leopard and tiger attacks in Vidarbha from 2011 to 2017 are 19 and 10, respectively.