Factors driving human–wild pig interactions: implications for wildlife conflict management in southern parts of India

The expanding population of wild pig ( Sus scrofa ) and the associated economic loss has been a challenge for the government and conservation biologists, for over a decade globally. Unlike the majority of other wildlife, rising anthropogenic pressure offered wild pigs a suitable environment to expand their population. Accordingly, the circumstances for social conflict also increased at human–wildlife interface areas. Understanding the regional ecological landscape factors driving the human–wild pig conflict (HWPC) is vital for developing efficient strategies for HWPC management. We analyzed the important spatial and ecological factors determining HWPC across the Eastern and Western Ghats region of Tamil Nadu, India through semi-structured interviews of local communities. Fifty seven percent (n = 825) of the villagers surveyed (n = 1460) reported frequent wild pig conflict, principally in the form of crop damage (n = 819), especially in areas adjoining the forest boundary. Our study indicated that the probability of HWPC was positively correlated to the diversity of major and minor crops grown, percent crop cover and distance to the nearest water body, and negatively correlated to the degree of slope of the landscape and average annual rainfall. We identified 6729 km 2 of the total sampled area (22,525 km 2 ) of high HWPC. Our HWPC hotspot map provides a concise view of the conflict pattern across the larger landscapes that can help the authorities prioritize areas and concentrate the conflict mitigation measures towards areas that require immediate attention.