By Sabina Shakya
Have you ever imagined what you would do if you came face to face with a crocodile while fetching water in the river? Even though crocodiles are majestic creatures that play important roles in freshwater ecosystems, they also pose real threats to people, especially when their habitat overlaps with areas of daily human activity. As such, this question may seem far-fetched to some, but for the Indigenous communities living around Nepal’s Chitwan National Park, it’s a harsh reality they confront every day. Established primarily to curb the rampant hunting and poaching of wildlife in the area, Chitwan National Park is now one of the most ecologically significant and well-known protected areas in Nepal. It supports key conservation efforts and provides critical habitat for many wildlife.
During my visit to Chitwan, I sat down with a family from the Chepang tribe, one of the oldest indigenous tribes. Their home, a simple mud house, stood just a stone’s throw away from the riverbank, a vital resource for their daily needs. Yet, this lifeline came with a price, not an ordinary but a heavy one; the lurking presence of mugger crocodiles.
A 35-year-old Chepang man came outside of his house when I called for someone to interview for my research. For a bit of context, this was during my undergraduate research that explored the human-crocodile conflict in the buffer zone area of Chitwan National Park, which was supported by the IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group. I don’t know what made it so easy but he trusted me very quickly and shared everything about their struggle with their existence. I was loving every bit of his story, learning more than expected, struggling to stay focused on my questionnaire. After a series of questions at last I asked him, with genuine curiosity, “What would you do if you and a crocodile faced each other in the river one day?” His response was not one of fear or panic but of resignation. He spoke of their dependence on the river for fishing, bathing, and washing clothes, despite the ever-present danger. Fortunately, there hasn’t been a human casualty in his family till now but livestock loss is very common. In sharing his experiences, he revealed a simple yet crucial technique to avoid conflict: avoiding the river during the evening or seasons of low visibility. This adaptive behavior, born out not from a scientific study or research but out of necessity, highlights the resourcefulness of indigenous communities in mitigating risks.
This encounter left me pondering: who bears responsibility in such a situation? Is it the indigenous communities like the Chepang, who must forge their way across dangerous river in pursuit of food? Or is it the conservationists and policymakers tasked with safeguarding both wildlife and human welfare? Crocodile conservation efforts in Nepal often focus on breeding and releasing gharials into the wild, which is essential. However, to ensure long-term conservation success, we must also actively address human – crocodile conflict and closely monitor mugger crocodiles in the buffer zone areas.
The case is not only about crocodiles, Chepang or Chitwan, human wildlife conflict is very prevalent and the fight for the resource (water in this case) is still going on strongly. Communities living in the buffer zone of the protected area have to share their food and water with rhinos, elephants, tigers, and crocodiles. But there are different forms of struggle for the people in the buffer zones of Nepal. These include crop and livestock loss due to wildlife, injuries or deaths from animal attacks, restricted access to natural resources, long and difficult processes to claim compensation, and ongoing fear and uncertainty in their day-to-day lives. These struggles are not unique to Nepal, they reflect a global challenge where conservation often comes with a cost.
Unlike the conflicts involving tigers or other charismatic megafauna that often make headlines, human-crocodile conflict remains largely overlooked.The majority of human-wildlife conflict research has concentrated on large mammals, yet smaller mammals and birds also cause significant damage to crops and livestock, highlighting the need for more detailed investigation of their impact in future studies (Sharma et al., 2021). Between 2023–24, crocodiles were responsible for two human fatalities, ranking third after rhinos and tigers. Despite this, crocodile-related incidents receive less media attention and conservation focus compared to those involving tigers and rhinos (Paudel, 2024).
However, just because it’s quieter doesn’t mean it’s any less real. As human settlements expand closer to riverbanks and critical wetland habitats near national parks, encounters between people and crocodiles are becoming more frequent and more dangerous. Human–crocodile conflict is not unique to Nepal or South Asia; it is also a growing issue in Sub-Saharan Africa and Northern Australia, where increasing human activity near wetlands and rivers has led to rising numbers of attacks and fatalities (Wallace et al., 2011; Fukuda et al., 2022). It’s time we begin to recognize this as a rising conservation and social challenge, one that affects both humans and crocodiles alike. Ignoring it not only risks lives but also threatens the delicate balance we strive to maintain in these shared landscapes.
Moving forward, we should focus on co-creating solutions; like safe water access points, community-led monitoring systems, or quick and easy compensation schemes for livestock loss. When needed, community members also pointed out to making compensation processes more effective, to avoid delays and being able to move on. These aren’t just technical fixes; they are bridges between policy and the people it’s meant to serve. We must ensure that the voices of communities like the Chepang are not just heard, but lead the conversation.
This experience reaffirmed my belief that conservation efforts must be rooted in the lived realities of local communities. Too often, policies are crafted in distant offices, removed from the mud houses by the river, from the eyes that scan the water before stepping in. As a conservationist, I’m constantly reminded that listening, truly listening, to stories like his is where real solutions begin. Conservation is more than saving species; it’s about saving relationships, between humans and nature, tradition and survival, risk and resilience.
Standing there by the river, listening to their stories, it struck me how easily I turn on a tap without a second thought while others risk their lives for a single bucket. That moment reshaped the way I see the water I drink, no longer just a necessity, but a privilege free from conflict.
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About the author:
Sabina Shakya is a conservationist and aspiring storyteller from Nepal, passionate about bridging science, nature, and people. She is deeply interested in the ecological and socio-economic aspects of wildlife conservation. Her research has explored species such as crocodiles and tigers, and she enjoys crafting narratives that connect scientific understanding with lived experiences on the ground. She believes that inclusive storytelling, grounded in science, can inspire empathy, shift perspectives, and drive more informed and meaningful conservation action.
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References:
Andrews, H. V., & McEachern, P. (1994). Crocodile Conservation in Nepal. Kathmandu: IUCN Nepal.
Human-crocodile conflict rising in Chitwan [Internet]. The Kathmandu Post. Available from: https://kathmandupost.com/province-no-3/2024/07/19/human-crocodile-conflict-rising-in-chitwan
Fukuda, Y., Webb, G. J. W., & Manolis, S. C. (2022). Saltwater crocodile attacks in Australia, 1979–2022: Incidence, location and management responses. Journal of Wildlife Management, 86(5), e22034. https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22034
Sharma, P., Chettri, N., & Wangchuk, K. (2021). Human–wildlife conflict in the roof of the world: Understanding multidimensional perspectives through a systematic review. Ecology and Evolution, 11(7), 3154–3173. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7980
Wallace, K. M., Leslie, A. J., & Coulson, T. (2011). Living with predators: A focus on the issues of human–crocodile conflict within the lower Zambezi Valley. Wildlife Research, 38(8), 747–755. https://doi.org/10.1071/WR11020
