Endowed with lush forests and rich wildlife, the hill state of Uttarakhand embodies the magnificent natural heritage of India. For centuries, the people of Uttarakhand have adapted to the challenges of their rugged landscape, livelihood, and life itself, including the well-known human-wildlife conflict narrative dominated by the fearsome tiger. Centred around the striped monk for centuries, this conflict has now given way to a profound and distressing shift, dominated by the elusive and adaptable leopard and the Asiatic black bear.AdvertisementThe prominence of leopards and bears is now a primary source of human casualties and distress in the hill districts. Between 2014 and 2024, leopards have caused over 200 human fatalities and injured more than 1,000 people. Bear attacks, on the other hand, though resulting in fewer fatalities, have led to severe mauling and lifelong disabilities, especially among women.Shaped by a complex crisis of human demographic choices, conservation successes, and ecological distress, this new normal of Uttarakhand has made life increasingly difficult in the mountains.The Paradox of Tiger SuccessThe success of Project Tiger is one of the most critical drivers of this conservation paradox. Increasing tiger populations in the Corbett and Rajaji national parks, from 442 in 2018 to over 560 by 2023, and their resultant dominance in the core forest areas are forcing the more adaptable leopards out of prime hunting territory. This displacement has had a cascading effect by transforming the natural behaviour of leopards, turning them from stealthy hunters to desperate scavengers on the forest fringes and making them more volatile and less fearful of human presence. According to a recent estimate, nearly 79 per cent of Uttarakhand’s leopard population is now outside protected areas.AdvertisementAbandoned Lands and Predator Havens in Ghost VillagesPerhaps the most powerful and unique driver in Uttarakhand is the phenomenon of mass migration or “palaayan” from the hills. Driven by one of the highest unemployment rates, lack of quality healthcare and education, thousands of villages have been partially or wholly abandoned. More than five lakh people have left their villages in search of better opportunities in cities and plains over the last decade, leaving behind thousands of deserted settlements or ghost villages. These have rapidly transformed into dense thickets dominated by invasive plants like lantana, providing the perfect cover for leopards and bears.Easy Prey and Forage ComplexIncreasing degradation due to development and fires impairs natural prey availability like deer and boars, forcing predators to seek alternative food sources elsewhere. In addition, for leopards, the abundance of stray dogs and livestock provides effortless targets, while bears are lured by the easy availability of garbage heaps, unattended orchards, and crops like maize and millet.In recent years, scientists have also attributed the increasing frequency of bear encounters to climate change, causing rising temperatures, shortening hibernation periods and forcing bears to remain active when they would normally be dormant.The Human Cost and Ecological BalanceThe growing frequency of such attacks exposes the dark side of conservation success and ecological change, where managing one species — like the tiger — without addressing broader ecosystem dynamics is heightening the risk from other species.It is high time we moved away from our single-species fixation towards inclusive interventions with data-driven coexistence, community engagement, and socio-economic policy reform to restore the fragile balance of the Himalayas.The immediate step is to empower the communities that bear the brunt of this conflict. Proven interventions like predator-proof corrals and solar-powered fences may help to reduce livestock depredation, thus cutting off the primary food source that draws leopards into human settlements.Equal attention and action must be directed towards boosting the natural prey base in and around the forest fringe by restoring forest land.Finally, policies are needed that can revitalise hill economies and incentivise youth to stay and cultivate the abandoned land, thereby putting the brakes on the ongoing migration problem. Once our deserted villages start thriving, leopards and bears are bound to move toward the forests.Way forwardIt is high time we recognised and addressed the dangerous ecological trap we are in with holistic strategies. Our interventions to facilitate coexistence must honour conservation commitments, human safety, and local challenges with support of both ecology and economy. Let Uttarakhand remain a divine sanctuary and not a land under the shadow of predators.The writer is former PCCF Telangana and Advisor SCCL