Human wildlife conflict in India: Do we need to debunk popular “ecological” theories implicit in conservation management?
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Conservation management in India appears to be based on a set of implicit oversimplified ecological beliefs. Using a thought experiment, I demonstrate here how management based on these beliefs is bound to lead to escalating human wildlife conflict (HWC). Mitigation measures such as capture-relocation are largely being used in spite of their demonstrated ineffectiveness or even counterproductive outcomes. It is time for ecologists to actively debunk the simplistic assumptions driving conservation management practices so that more realistic, scientific and data-based management can take the place of sentiment and ideology driven management.