Managing Human-animal Conflict in India: Insights From a Meta-analysis

Human-animal conflict (HAC) has existed since the evolution of humankind, as humans and animals have continuously competed for resources and survival. This ongoing conflict poses significant challenges to both human and animal populations. Addressing the HAC effectively requires an integrated and comprehensive approach. Using Scopus and Google Scholar, this study does a logit-transformed proportion meta-analysis on 24 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2024. Most of the studies were conducted in South India, focusing on important conflict species, such as elephants, wild boars, monkeys, tigers, and leopards. Studies involving big carnivores such as elephants, lions, leopards, and bears have demonstrated human tolerance despite continuous confrontation. Based on the findings, it was determined that Kerala has the highest number of instances concerning conflict. An insightful examination of conflict patterns is provided by this meta-analysis, which is particularly useful given the focus that the study places on quantitative data. We suggest extending future research to cover a broader spectrum of material, including governmental and non-governmental reports, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of HAC in India.