Human-Wildlife Conflict In Mumbai With Especial Reference To Mulund

Abstract
Across the world, incidences of conflicts between human beings and wildlife have been reported to have escalated significantly in recent times. The exponential growth of the human population and their consequently growing needs have resulted in mounting up of pressure on our natural resource base causing such scenarios of conflict. Instances of human-wildlife conflicts are common across various parts of India. The city of Mumbai has been witnessing its own share of human-wildlife conflicts, which have escalated tremendously in recent times. Therefore, in this study, the human-animal conflict in Mumbai is explored with an emphasis on the suburban locality of Mulund. The study in general explores the changing nature of human-wildlife interactions in Mumbai with special reference to the rise of the human-wildlife conflict in the western part of Mulund. Based on these, the study also reflects on plausible measures that can enable resolving the scenario of conflict. The methodology of the study is based on the use of secondary data published in various sources such as journals, governmental reports, news reports, etc. The results of the study expose the inherent problems of the growing urban population and indiscriminate urban expansion as the cause of the conflict.

Keywords: Animals, encroachment, forest, habitat loss, people, urban

https://doi.org/10.37948/ensemble-2021-0301-a027