A study on the profile of a forest fringe village in Pangolakha wildlife sanctuary, Sikkim, facing human-wildlife conflict

Abstract

A socio-economic study as a component of human-wildlife conflict was conducted in 2019 in a remote village named Talkharka in East Sikkim district on the fringes of Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary. A structured questionnaire in an interview form was used to solicit information from the village respondents. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. The primary source of income is farming, with cardamom being the major cash crop. Located on the forest fringes, the village farmlands are regularly raided by wildlife. The wildlife also prey upon the village livestock, especially poultry. This has led to economic hardships and financial losses over the years. The study revealed that cardamom production has decreased over the last few years, leading to a decrease in the income status of the villagers. This study will provide baseline data on the socio-economic status of the village families and on the issues of human-wildlife conflict faced in agriculture and livestock to form conflict mitigation measures in the future.