Recently, there has been a surge in wildlife attacks in India’s biodiverse regions, resulting in numerous fatalities. Notably, Kerala has experienced
India’s richly biodiverse regions standing at the forefront of human-animal conflict often become hideous ground for some fatal incidents. Recently, there have been increased cases of wild elephant attacks in Kerala, with four fatalities reported in Wayanad alone. Protests have broken out, demanding that definitive action be taken by the authorities to solve the issue of increasing deaths. Kerala Forest Minister says that the attacks have been on the increase and that the device of an immediate relief plan must be set in motion.
Here are 10 places in India where there is a significant surge in wildlife attacks:
- 1. Kerala: The recent cases of jumbo attacks and as many as 4 people losing their lives in 48 hours, in Wayanad have turned eyeballs towards the state. Over 11 people have died in wild jumbo attacks in Kerala between December 14, 2024, and February 11, 2025. So far 57 people have lost their lives, 15 caused by elephants, 8 by wild boar, 1 by a tiger, and 32 by snake bites.
- 2. Odisha: Elephant attacks are common, leading to numerous fatalities in the state. According to forest minister Singkhuntia, around 68 people lost their lives to these attacks in 2024 and a total of 149 people succumbed to these from 2023 to 2024, as reported by the HIndu. The state government has plans to use AI-aided surveillance facilities to track wild animals and alert people in advance.
- 3. Uttar Pradesh: According to reports, in the previous years serious attacks by wolves gripped the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh. Local health officials had reported as many as 34 deaths between March and September in the previous year.
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- 4. Maharashtra: Forest minister of the state, Sudhir Mungantiwar informed in July 2024, that 426 humans had lost their lives to wildlife attacks in Maharashtra and that 3,225 were injured in attacks between January 2018 and February 2024
- 5. Tamil Nadu: Encounters with tuskers and other wildlife are frequent in Tamil Nadu, according to current fiscal year reports, there have been 80 deaths, which is also the highest in 5 years. Apart from human deaths, there has also been significant damage to crops, livestock deaths, property damage and multiple human injuries as well, as reported by the Indian Express.
- 6. Chhattisgarh: Elephant, tiger, and bear attacks are a significant concern in the state. According to reports, more than 270 people have died in Chattisgarh due to elephant attacks, especially in the northern parts of the state between 2019 to 2024, according to the reports by the PIB. As per local reports, in August 2024, 4 people were trampled to death by an elephant. Also previously in December, 3 people were killed in an attack by a leopard, including a 70-year-old woman who was dragged and mutilated by the wild act.
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- 7. Madhya Pradesh: This state has been known for tiger and leopard attacks, multiple farmers, there were cases of farmers being killed in tiger attacks in December 2024. A significant rise has been seen in Panna, Bandhavgarh, and Balaghat areas, according to wildlife activist Ajay Dubey. The state administration also increased the compensation for lives lost to wild animals from Rs. 8 Lakhs to Rs. 25 lakhs.
- 8. Karnataka: Human-wildlife conflicts, especially with elephants, tigers and leopards. According to the Deccan Herald, between 2013-2014 and 2023-2024, around 506 people have lost their lives to wildlife attacks, Including 332 deaths from elephants, 33 deaths from leopards, and 32 deaths from tigers.
- 9. Gujarat: Encounters with lions and leopards in the Gir region are frequent, NDTV reported that a minor girl of 7 years was caught and mutilated by a leopard in Gujrat’s Amreli district in 2023. According to reports, authorities were then prompted to set cage traps to catch the big cat. Between 2009 and 2022, there were at least 15 human deaths due to leopard attacks, aaording to a research titled ‘Ecology of the Leopard in South Gujrat’ .
- 10. Uttarakhand: There have been frequent leopard, tiger, and bear attacks in the hilly regions. According to reports from the state forest department released in 2024, 66 people died in human-wildlife conflicts in the state in the year 2023; in 2022, 82 people died; and 71 people died in 2021.