Human-wildlife conflict encounters highlight mental health concerns

Liaqat Ali, 30, lives in the forest area in Taumadia area of ​​Terai West Forest Division adjoining the Corbett Tiger Reserve in Ramnagar, Uttarakhand. His face reflects the toll that human-wildlife conflict has taken on people in the region. In 2020, while grazing buffaloes in the forests of Corbett, he was suddenly attacked by a tiger. Liaqat faced severe injuries and was taken to the hospital. After receiving treatment and recovering, he returned home. His facial wounds have healed, but his life is no longer the same.

There was a time when he used to sleep in the jungle at night while grazing buffaloes. But, after this attack, a there is a pervasive fear and he is too scared to step foot in the jungle. The forest tracks that he had known since childhood spook him now.

For forest dwellers, climbing trees to collect fodder and leaves is a routine activity; like how city dwellers buy milk from the nearest booth every morning.

But after the tiger attack, Liaqat is too scared to climb trees. He said that once he got so nervous after climbing a tree that he froze. His brother had to help him get down with a rope.

This incident that occurred about five years ago has changed his life completely. He acknowledges struggling with his temper and says he occasionally experiences overwhelming anger, which leaves him feeling deeply guilty afterward.

After the tragic incident, he began selling milk, but the business ran into losses as he faced difficulties with memory and managing finances. As debts piled up, he was forced to shut it down. He then took up work as a labourer to support the household, but had to give it up too, as long hours in the sun triggered severe headaches.

He lives with his wife and five children. Earlier, his two brothers and parents also used to live with him, but Liaqat’s poor mental health led to them living separately.

Rakhi Rawat, a resident of Devkundai village in Bironkhal block of Pauri district, is also dealing with a similar situation. She lives with her mother, sister, and brother. Her father passed away.

In 2019, when she was 10, she was injured while saving her younger brother from a leopard attack. Her brother sustained minor injuries, but Rakhi got 40 stitches on her head. She is 15 now. Although her physical wounds have healed, the trauma continues to affect her. She frequently has nightmares in which a leopard takes her brother away. She struggles with memory lapses and often avoids being alone in a room. The thought of going to school by herself makes her anxious, and she sometimes feels as though she’s being watched.

Increasing human-wildlife conflict

Incidents of human-wildlife conflict are constantly increasing in Uttarakhand. The Forest Department data since the formation of the state shows that between January 2000 and February 2025, 534 people have lost their lives in leopard attacks. Snake bites have caused 253 deaths, elephant attacks have killed 227 people, and tiger attacks have killed 99 people. While 67 people died after bear attacks, 49 people died in attacks by other animals.

The number of people injured in these attacks is also high. Leopards top the list — 2,052 people have sustained injuries. While 1,935 people have been injured in bear attacks, the number of people injured in elephant and tiger attacks stands at 230 and 130, respectively. As compared to the first two decades, these incidents have increased. From 2020 to February 2025, the number of injured people has more than halved compared to the previous two decades. And half a decade is still left.

The 2020 census revealed there were 2,026 elephants in Uttarakhand. Most were in Corbett Tiger Reserve and Rajaji National Park. As per the 2022 census, there are 560 tigers. The Wildlife Institute of India, in collaboration with the Uttarakhand Forest Department, conducted a census of leopards in more than 20 divisional and wildlife divisional areas of the Forest Department in December 2021 and July 2022, in which their number was found to be 2,276.

Shortage of psychiatrists

Jaya Navani, a psychiatrist at Government Doon Medical College, explains that incidents like these can lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Individuals may repeatedly relive the traumatic event and, in some cases, experience hallucinations or heightened sensitivity to loud sounds. They may also avoid places where they fear encountering animals, and the trauma can take an emotional toll. According to her, the psychological impact is often less immediately apparent in children, but if deeply affected, it can have long-term consequences. She notes that with appropriate psychotherapy and medication, recovery is possible.

The healthcare system in Uttarakhand’s hilly districts faces significant challenges, with more than half of the specialist doctor positions currently vacant. Mental health services are particularly limited. According to the State Mental Health Authority’s website, a shortage of professionals is affecting their daily operations.

Liaqat, who has been dealing with psychological distress for nearly five years, says he has never consulted a psychiatrist. He recalls that after the tiger attack, staff at the government hospital in Ramnagar informed him they were not equipped to provide the necessary treatment and referred him to a private facility. However, with no specialist available at the government hospital and the cost of private care beyond his means, he was unable to begin treatment.

Poor financial condition is also a major reason why those suffering from mental illnesses do not opt for treatment. Like Liaqat, Rakhi’s family is also facing the same situation. They have to go to the state capital Dehradun, 200 km away from their home, for her treatment. Her mother says that she is unable to afford the car fare and the cost of staying in Dehradun for a day.

The state government provides financial assistance to the families of those injured and killed in wild animal attacks. There is a provision of Rs. 1,00,000 in case of partial physical disability, Rs. 3,00,000 in case of complete disability and Rs. 6,00,000 in case of death in such attacks. Dhananjay Mohan, Chief Forest Conservator of Uttarakhand, says that the victims of wildlife and human conflict are given compensation by the forest department within a stipulated time period and this compensation is as per the government rules. Apart from this, no separate compensation is given for mental health issues that may emerge.

Navani says that it takes a long time for patients to understand that they are suffering from a mental illness. And when they and their families understand this, they contact quacks and exorcists — a common practice in hill and rural areas.

According to her, in such cases, the mental condition of the victim should be assessed at the initial stage itself. And they should be informed about the symptoms of mental stress. She stresses that it is very important to take policy decisions to ensure this.

In view of the increasing incidents of wildlife and human conflict, the Ministry of Wildlife, Environment and Climate Change issued a guideline in 2023 to minimise leopard and human conflict. The 20-page guideline, under the heading ‘Reducing the Impact of HLC on the Health and Well-being of Humans’, clearly states that survivors of such incidents can be provided with assistance to cope with the psychological impacts.

Sumit Deb Burman, the Secretary of Uttarakhand Mental Health Authority, says that in case of a natural disaster, the Government of India has made an SOP for post-disaster need assessment but there is no such guideline for human-wildlife conflict. He acknowledged that it is very important to create a standard treatment protocol for such cases so that the victim’s family and the victim can get medical advice after such incidents.

When asked how such patients can get treatment near their area, he replied that the authority is now training primary health doctors to examine such patients so that they can get access to the right treatment at the right time.

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This story was reported by Mongabay India’s Hindi team and first published here on our Hindi site on March 25, 2025.

Banner image: A village in Pauri district, Uttarakhand. Image by Robin Chauhan.