By Arockia E J Ferdin
On my very first day in Chitwan back in 2022, I encountered a greater one-horned rhinoceros walking on the streets. This struck me as a vivid illustration of the additional pressure on local communities who must navigate the daily realities of sharing their space with these magnificent creatures. That moment reinforced my commitment as a researcher to understanding and addressing the growing complexities of human-wildlife conflict in Chitwan.
Wild mammals are making a comeback in South Asia, one of the most densely populated regions in the world. This region, once home to ancient civilizations where humans and majestic wildlife coexisted for thousands of years, now faces increasing human-wildlife conflicts. As a result, protected area managers are striving to balance wildlife conservation with community needs [1].
This is especially true in Nepal, which has been at the forefront of community-based conservation through unique co-management models that have driven remarkable recoveries of globally significant species such as tigers and rhinos [2, 3]. Although communities benefit from wildlife tourism, they face economic losses due to crop damage, livestock predation, property damage, and sometimes fatal human-wildlife encounters, greatly affecting their overall well-being [4].
These challenges motivated me to explore community priorities in human-wildlife conflict management within Nepal’s oldest national park—Chitwan National Park. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site that harbors the world’s second-largest population of greater one-horned rhinoceros, Chitwan represents an ideal case study for examining the intensity of human-wildlife interactions in a biodiversity hotspot. Engaging with communities to understand their needs and perspectives is crucial for effective conservation and decision-making. I wanted to identify which human-wildlife conflict management strategies local community members perceive as important and how effectively these strategies are implemented on the ground.
Navigating Fieldwork in Unfamiliar Territory
At the entrance of the protected area, a wooden board depicting the “conservation triangle model” caught my attention. This framework illustrates the shared governance approach where the Nepalese Army, park authorities, and local community members collaboratively serve as stewards of the park.
Conducting field research in an unfamiliar country like Nepal presented unexpected challenges requiring constant adaptation. As an Indian from South India visiting Nepal for the first time, I realized that geographical proximity doesn’t always translate to ease of travel. What I initially assumed would be a straightforward journey to Chitwan turned into a logistically complex expedition requiring four flights across five airports. Language barriers added another layer of complexity—being from Tamil Nadu, India, I do not speak Hindi and had to rely on enumerators for interview assistance. Safety was also a significant concern, as fieldwork in Chitwan involved traveling through dense forests, sometimes by motorbike, with risks of encountering wild animals such as elephants or big cats. Budget limitations heightened uncertainties, making each stage of the research process a test of resilience—challenges rarely discussed in social science fieldwork.
Engaging with local communities was equally challenging. Many residents were skeptical of us, assuming we were connected to the forest department or questioning the tangible benefits of academic studies, as they had been interviewed numerous times before. Their frustration was visible, as even after being interviewed by researchers previously, their daily struggles with wildlife damage had not been addressed. What helped shift their perceptions was that we explained how local community voices are of paramount importance in Chitwan’s conservation efforts. We also assured them that our research serves communities directly and that results would be shared with Chitwan National Park management for consideration in human-wildlife conflict management. Additionally, my enumerator advised me against discussing my religion in certain households, highlighting the sensitivity required when conducting social science research within diverse communities.
Research Insights: Community Priorities in Human-Wildlife Conflict
The following insights are based on findings from my published paper [5]. After interviewing 506 buffer zone residents—those living in the community-managed areas surrounding the park, I found that an overwhelming 89% of respondents reported experiencing conflicts, emphasizing the widespread nature of the issue in Chitwan. The most common challenge faced by communities was crop damage, followed by livestock depredation and property damage, highlighting the consequences associated with living in a mosaic landscape. The primary species responsible for these conflicts were spotted deer, rhinos, wild boars, elephants, and rhesus monkeys.
Both farmers and non-farmers prioritized enhancing livelihood diversification skills, accelerating compensation schemes, and promoting alternative livelihoods. Chitwan authorities and local municipalities have launched off-farm training programs to help residents diversify income sources beyond agriculture and forest use. Compensation or relief payments are being distributed through a combination of park budget and buffer zone user committees’ available funds. The park management is actively engaging with buffer zone residents to promote alternative livelihood opportunities such as homestay development, tour guiding, and beekeeping. Recognizing these local concerns can help park management allocate additional resources to meet community needs effectively.
Reflections: The Delicate Balance
The image of a rhino walking on the streets at the start of my journey serves as a powerful reminder of what’s at stake—not just in Chitwan, but globally. As the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution threatens wildlife worldwide, the lessons from Chitwan’s community-based conservation model become increasingly relevant for other protected areas facing similar human-wildlife conflicts.
For international researchers undertaking similar work, I recommend investing time in trust-building efforts, centering community voices, ensuring research serves local community needs and conservation efforts, and committing to share findings back with both communities and park management. More specifically, international researchers should take time to understand local customs, build relationships, and engage partners throughout the research cycle—even before traveling to their field sites.
Beyond relationship-building, researchers should actively engage with protected area managers both before and after completing their projects, rather than conducting research solely for publication. International researchers should also invite and include local or regional experts as co-authors when aiming for publication, ensuring that local knowledge and perspectives are properly recognized and accredited. My engagement with Chitwan National Park authorities, The National Trust for Nature Conservation, and buffer zone residents from diverse cultural backgrounds was not only essential to the research process, but also deeply rewarding on a personal level.
Sharing preliminary findings and final results can help communities see the relevance of research and improve the likelihood of uptake by park managers. This dissemination can be achieved by providing published research papers accompanied by plain language summaries, utilizing video conferencing, or collaborating with local organizations to distribute results. Such practices enhance transparency, build rapport, and raise awareness among communities, ultimately supporting informed decision-making by protected area managers.
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About the author:
Arockia E J Ferdin is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Center for Research in Development, Social and Environment (SEEDS), Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. His research focuses on the interactions between humans and terrestrial mammals, particularly in the context of human-wildlife conflict management. He is also deeply committed to addressing the pressing issue of plastic pollution. Learn more about Arockia at https://www.arockiaferdin.xyz/
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References:
1. Tian, D., et al., Defining the balance point between conservation and development. Conservation Biology, 2019. 33(2): p. 231-238. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13221
2. Lamichhane, B.R., et al., Rapid recovery of tigers Panthera tigris in Parsa Wildlife Reserve, Nepal. Oryx, 2018. 52(1): p. 16-24. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605317000886
3. Talukdar, B.K., et al., The Recovery of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in India and Nepal, in Rhinos of the World: Ecology, Conservation and Management, M. Melletti, B. Talukdar, and D. Balfour, Editors. 2025, Springer Nature Switzerland: Cham. p. 275-305. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-67169-2_11
4. Acharya, K.P., et al., Human-wildlife conflicts in Nepal: patterns of human fatalities and injuries caused by large mammals. PLoS one, 2016. 11(9): p. e0161717.5. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0161717
5. Ferdin, A.E.J., et al., Prioritizing human-wildlife conflict management strategies through importance-performance analysis: Insights from Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Journal for Nature Conservation, 2024. 81: p. 126675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126675
