JAMMU — A total of 15,661 cases of human-wildlife conflict were recorded across Jammu and Kashmir between 2023 and 2025, resulting in 32 deaths and 350 injuries, with Jammu district alone accounting for nearly 18 per cent of the incidents.
Forest Minister Javed Rana shared the data in the Assembly on Tuesday in a written reply to a question by National Conference MLA Mubarak Gul.
He said that during 2023–24, as many as 9,301 cases were registered, leading to 137 injuries and 18 deaths. Jammu district reported the highest number of incidents at 1,444, followed by Kupwara (1,173), Kishtwar (998), Baramulla (950), Doda (826) and Ramban (756). Kupwara recorded four deaths, while Doda and Anantnag reported three deaths each.
For 2024–25, 6,360 cases have been reported so far, resulting in 213 injuries and 14 deaths, he said. Jammu again topped the list with 1,341 cases, followed by Ramban (686), Kishtwar (673), Anantnag (637) and Doda (609). Pulwama reported 30 injuries, while Anantnag recorded the highest number of injuries at 34 during the current fiscal.
In terms of fatalities in 2024–25, Doda and Kupwara reported three deaths each, while Anantnag recorded two deaths.
The minister informed the House that in the Jammu region, the age profile of affected persons ranges between 15 and 60 years, while in the Kashmir region it ranges from four to 70 years.
Rana said incidents of human-wildlife conflict have not increased significantly in recent years, adding that mitigation measures are being integrated into development planning to ensure long-term coexistence.
He said 42 control rooms have been established across the Union Territory to ensure round-the-clock response to wildlife emergencies. These are equipped with tranquilising guns, medicines, capture nets, cages, rescue equipment and vehicles, and are manned by trained personnel.
The government is also conducting awareness programmes and circulating advisories through print, electronic and social media to sensitise people in wildlife-prone areas, while regular patrolling, surveillance and deployment of quick response teams are being carried out at identified hotspots.
He added that long-term interventions such as scientific zoning of conflict hotspots, habitat improvement and protection of wildlife corridors are also underway.
The government further informed that several compensation cases remain pending, with Kupwara (46), Anantnag (41) and Baramulla (28) among the districts with the highest number of pending cases. — (PTI)