Author(s): Chauhan NPS
We investigated the nature and extent of human-wild pig conflict in northern and central India. Wild pigs ( Sus scrofa ) surviving in disturbed and fragmented habitats were responsible for many human casualties and extensive damage to agricultural crops. Information on human causalities, place of attack, sex of victims, and agricultural crop raid ing was collected from the records of the forest department and by interviewing villagers and ocular estimation of crop damage in 11 states. In total, there were 927 human casualties by wild pigs in these states during 1990-2010; out of which 4.2% were death cases and 95.8% injury cases. Male causalities were more (81. 2%) than females (18.8%). Maximum cases (77.9%) occurred in forests, followed by 18.3% cases in crop fields and 3.8% cases in the vicinity of villages. Damage to agricultural crops by wild pigs was enormous and widespread. They fed on all phenological stages, but tender stages and matured crops were highly susceptible to damage.